Forget the First
by boaluv14
Summary: Pansy never thought she'd be pulled back into him again. Not after all this time...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Heyyyy it's boaluv14 coming at you with a brand new story! This story has a VERY long background. It all started about 4 years ago when I began writing a story about Draco Malfoy's fourth year at Hogwarts. I had written the first chapter but never continued. Not until September 2009 did I pick it up again after discovering it on my old computer! Eventually, the story developed in my mind all the way up to this point. Six years after Hogwarts! Not sure if I'll be putting up the story about his fourth year as it is very open ended and I'd be compelled to write all the way up to seventh year. BUT here is the new story you've been waiting for! Enjoy!

"Rachel!" Pansy Parkinson yelled from the front desk.

A young girl of about 19 rushed out of the storage room looking flustered. Her dark bob was disheveled. "Yes Pansy!" she said breathlessly.

Pansy turned around and stared at her employee, "A customer needs assistance." she said as she adjusted her white blazer. Rachel nodded and walked as fast as her little legs could carry her to a pudgy woman in a bright green sweater.

Pansy looked around her shop. It was nearly empty except for that one customer. It had been a very slow day and she was thinking about closing up early. She watched as Rachel, her loyal and peppy employee, squeezed a ballet flat on the customer's fat foot and sighed. When the woman left with nothing, Pansy was disappointed but ready to close up for the day an hour early. It wasn't likely anyone else was going to come in. She could only see a few people walking outside in Diagon Alley today.

Pansy and Rachel began cleaning up the store and putting any loose shoes in their boxes in the backroom. Pansy reached down to put away a large box containing a pair of boots when a customer entered the shop. She heard the familiar chime of the bell over the entrance as the customer walked in. Pansy stood up and peered around the corner to make sure Rachel was attending to them. She poked her head out of the doorway and looked to her right.

"Aren't these lovely, dear?" said a young blonde woman holding a pair of metallic blue high heels. The man she was with shrugged and looked to the side, dismissing her. That's when Pansy recognized them. She quickly hid herself in the backroom, heart racing.

"Do you want to try those on?" Rachel said, her voice sounded muffled from the front of the shop. Pansy got on her hands and knees hoping not to be seen. She crawled behind the register and pretended to be busy putting things away. How could he be here? And with _her_? Pansy hadn't seen her ex boyfriend in years and now here he was at her shop with another woman. It was utterly humiliating.

"I'll definitely take these" the blonde woman chimed. Rachel moved behind the register and Pansy sneaked behind her, her back facing the couple. She was almost out of sight when she heard her name being called.

"Pansy?" the woman shouted. Pansy froze. _Shit_.

Pansy turned around with a giant smile on her face, "Astoria!" she shouted back. Her face was slowly turning a bright shade of red.

"It's so nice to see you!" Astoria Greengrass exclaimed and she squealed as she hugged her old high school acquaintance.

"Yes, lovely…" Pansy grumbled. If only she could apparate out of this situation.

"Draco, don't be rude say 'hello'." Astoria nudged him with a disapproving look. Draco looked Pansy in the eye and nodded.

"Draco and I are married now did you hear?" Astoria beamed and Pansy's heart sank. Married? To _her_? Pansy tried not to frown at the beautiful silver band on Astoria's finger.

"That's great." Pansy replied half-heartedly. Her eyes shifted towards Draco who was still staring at her intensely. Pansy quickly darted her eyes away from his. "Well! It was nice seeing you. Enjoy your new shoes." Pansy smiled and waved goodbye to the couple.

"Who was that?" Rachel asked, eyebrows raised.

"No one!" Pansy shouted, her voice cracking from embarrassment. Rachel looked unconvinced but dropped the subject anyway. Pansy closed up shop completely mortified. At least she had a good story to tell her friends later.

* * *

"He married that annoying little snot?" Tracy Davis scrunched up her nose when Pansy told her the story. The two of them were sitting in a bar along with Millicent Bullstrode down the street from Pansy's Shoe Shop.

"You were too good for the git anyway." Millicent said, rolling her eyes. Tracy agreed.

"He didn't even say hi." Pansy complained, "He just stood there staring at me like we didn't go out for over 3 years. It was so embarrassing."

"You know what you need?" Tracy beamed.

"What?" Pansy grumbled.

"A man!" Millicent and Tracy said in unison.

"No." Pansy said firmly.

"Oh come on! Let us set you up! I mean, when was the last time you had sex? Like a year ago?" Tracy groaned.

Pansy turned red, "Shut up! I'm fine. I don't want to be set up with some ugly cousin of yours."

"We promise he won't be ugly." Millicent held Pansy's hand and gave her puppy dog eyes, "What could it hurt? Hm?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Fine. One date." Millicent and Tracy cheered and high fived and Pansy took a long sip from her martini.

* * *

Pansy rolled out of bed the following Saturday morning not in the best spirits. It was the day of the blind date she had agreed to and she was dreading it. At least she didn't have to go to work so she could spend the whole day in her pajamas. She could spend her afternoon lounging around her spacious apartment all by herself. And eat her eggs and bacon breakfast all by herself. And listen to her wizard radio all by herself. Suddenly she realized that she didn't want to be 'all by herself'. Pansy looked around the apartment. It was lonely living in such a big place alone. Maybe this blind date thing wasn't such a bad idea. Her heart stung as she thought about Draco and how he was married already. Maybe if things had turned out differently she would be married to him instead.

Pansy still remembered that day she had come to apologize to him. It was the summer after the war and she had made sure she was looking her best. She had even curled her hair for the encounter. She rang his doorbell and when he opened the door he didn't look happy to see her.

"Draco, I came to say I'm sorry." she said sincerely, "After Crabbe died and countless other people I knew were injured or lost to the battle, I realized how much pain You-Know-Who caused. And I realized how much he never cared about any of us. I'm sorry about what he put you through. I'm really sorry." he stared at her, his face cold. "Please give me another chance." Pansy begged.

Draco sighed at the 18 year old girl on his doorstep. "I'm sorry Pansy." He said looking down, "But I just don't have feelings for you anymore."

Pansy looked at him in disbelief. How could he not love her anymore? He had gotten over her so quickly? Her heart hurt so bad she clutched her chest.

"Please leave." he said in a monotone and shut the door in her face.

Twenty-three year old Pansy shook her head attempting to shake the memory away. It was years ago and she was over it now. Draco Malfoy could no longer hurt her. She wouldn't let him. She would find the man of her dreams soon. And he would be nothing like Draco. He would be kind and loving and understanding.

Pansy swung open the door when her date knocked on it at 7pm that night. She had dressed up in fitted skinny jeans and a fluttery pink blouse.

"Hi," her date said, offering a handshake, "I'm David." Pansy looked up in dreamy state at the man standing before her. He was tall with broad shoulders and a killer smile. His dark hair was slightly messy but in a good way. As if he had just rolled out of bed looking that sexy. Pansy smiled, her friends had done well. Maybe she had finally found her prince charming.

David took her arm. "We're apparating to one of my favorite restaurants. You have your license right?" Pansy nodded, "Good, wouldn't want you to lose an arm!" he chuckled and they apparated to a street made out of cobblestone. The restaurant they were eating at was French, and very beautiful. Pansy felt slightly under dressed in jeans. The place was definitely high class. A waiter showed them to their candlelit table and handed them their menus. Pansy was definitely having the escargot. It was her favorite French dish.

"I hope I'm not being too forward but you are absolutely beautiful." David said after they had ordered entrees. Pansy blushed; no one had ever complimented her like that before.

"Thank you." she said shyly. There was an awkward pause in the conversation. Pansy decided to fill it with a question. "So um, where do you work?"

"At the ministry." he said casually, "In the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"Oh sounds exciting. Do you travel a lot because of it?" Pansy asked politely.

"No not really. That's more for the higher ups. My boss travels often though. You went to Hogwarts right?" Pansy nodded as she took a sip of water. "Then you might know him. Draco Malfoy?"

Pansy coughed as the water she was drinking went down the wrong way. "Are you okay?" David asked, handing her a napkin to cough into. Pansy nodded frantically trying to act normal.

"Draco Malfoy is your boss? Isn't he a bit young?" her eyes were wide open in horror.

"Yes…" David said uneasily. He must have been very frightened by her reaction, "But you know his Dad has a reputation at the Ministry so of course he got his son the best job possible."

Pansy was in such a shock that she didn't even notice the escargot that was placed in front of her and almost stuck her elbow right into it. She nervously ate the food as David went on and on about Draco.

"Me and Malfoy get along great though!" he laughed, "Told me all these stories about when he went to Hogwarts. Probably made up most of 'em though. Too funny to believe!" Pansy nodded politely, "There was this one time we went bar hopping and he was hitting on all the ladies in there! That was before his wife of course."

The rest of the night consisted of David laughing and having a good time talking about her ex-boyfriend while Pansy faux smiled and laughed along. At the end of the date Pansy flew inside her apartment to avoid the goodnight kiss. She was definitely not going out with him again.

* * *

"Pansy we're soooo sorry!" Millicent and Tracy laughed at lunch the next afternoon. Pansy scowled at her two best friends. Tracy's blonde ponytail was falling apart because she was laughing so hard.

"Honestly though," Millicent started, "we had no idea he worked for Draco. But you have to admit, that is pretty funny."

"We'll set you up with someone else. And we'll do a thorough background check." Tracy said crossing her fingers, "Promise!"

Pansy looked at the clock in the coffee shop, "I don't think so. I'm done with blind dates. And I have to go to work now. I'll talk to you guys later. Bye!" Pansy paid for her meal and strolled down Diagon Alley to her shoe store.

But when Pansy arrived she couldn't believe her eyes. The store was filled with people and her two employees were scrambling to help them all.

"Could use a bit of help here." said the new girl, Hannah, as she walked by while balancing a huge pile of shoes. Pansy quickly began attending to customer after customer.

"I want this one mum!" said a little girl with pigtails. She was tugging on her mom's shirt and pointing to a pair of pink runners. They seemed to be some of the last customers from the rush. Pansy crouched down to help the little girl try them on.

"How do they feel?" Pansy smiled.

"Good." The girl said shyly. She walked around in them to make sure and then Pansy made the sale. Just as she shut the register, she heard the chiming of a new customer entering the store. She looked up and cringed. It was Draco Malfoy again. But he wasn't with his wife. Pansy couldn't avoid him this time. They had already made eye contact and he was walking towards the counter.

"How can I help you?" she said trying to keep her cool.

"I need some shoes for a luncheon with my wife. Something…expensive." He clearly was not the bargain brand type.

"We have only the top designers on this shelf." She guided him to a display of men's shoes with prices up to 150 galleons.

"What do you," he said in a slow voice. He was looking her dead in the eye. "Recommend?"

Pansy reached for a pair on the second highest shelf praying her shirt wouldn't lift revealing her underwear. "These are onyx black Wentworth dress shoes. Very big wizard shoe designer. 100 galleons."

Draco held the left shoe in his hand. He examined every inch of the thing and then said, "It's perfect." He smiled and paid for the shoes with Hannah's assistance.

"Ooo who was that?" Hannah asked excitedly after Draco had left.

"That's what I wanna know!" Rachel answered

"I know him from somewhere!" Hannah yelled and quickly ran into the backroom. When she came out she was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, "Isn't this him?" she said pointing to the front page. A picture of Draco Malfoy smiling in a black suit was on the cover with the headline, 'Malfoy Taking Over; New Kid on the Block Plans to Make Big Changes at the Ministry'.

"Ooo he's a politician!" Rachel giggled, "Handsome, rich, _and_ powerful. Yum!"

Hannah shook her red curls. "He's hot. Do you know him?" she looked at Pansy for an answer.

"He's just this guy I know from Hogwarts." Pansy would love to avoid the topic altogether but it just kept coming up lately. Why couldn't she escape him? It was like everyone around her had Draco Malfoy word vomit. She quickly busied herself in the backroom to escape the chatter and giggling of the two young girls.

Pansy was exhausted by the end of the day and couldn't wait to get home. She was going to the let Rachel and Hannah close up for the night. Pansy picked up her purse and headed for the employees only, back exit.

"Hey Pansy wait!" Rachel called. "Here, I found this next to the register." She handed Pansy a piece of paper folded in half. It had gold embroidering and her name was written on it in black cursive. Pansy slowly opened the note. It read:

(020) 7545 0800

- D.M

**A/N: **I know what you're thinking! "HEY! Boaluv14! Wizards don't use phones!" Yes they do. Well some do. Confused? As it should be. All will be explained next time!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hey guys. So, I still don't own Harry Potter darnit. But here's chapter 2.

"That cheating son of a bitch." Tracy scowled at the piece of paper in front of her.

"He didn't cheat on anyone." Pansy said defensively. She and Millicent were at Tracy's house for the day and were currently listening to her insult Draco Malfoy.

"He obviously wants to sleep with you! Bet he's cheated on his wife with dozens of other girls. That sick bastard!" Tracy fumed.

Millicent and Pansy looked at each other wide eyed. "It's not that big of a deal. I just won't call him." said Pansy.

"Of course you won't call him! He's a dirty snake! Trying to get in your pants…"

"Well it's not like he hasn't gotten in them before." Millicent snorted. Even Tracy laughed at that one. Pansy scowled. Tracy's argument didn't really make sense since Draco and Pansy had slept together many times over during their relationship. He knew what it was like to be with her. It was not like she was new and exciting. "I agree with Pansy," Millicent continued, "If Malfoy wanted a booty call he'd pick some slag off the street not his ex."

"Regardless," Tracy started, "you will not be calling him. Right?" Pansy nodded in agreement. There was no way she was going to call him. It was totally inappropriate. She wanted as little contact with Draco Malfoy as possible.

The next month of her life was totally Malfoy free. No visits to the shop, no secret notes, and no blind dates with man crushes. She was finally off to visit her parents after not seeing them for almost 4 months. Although she hated it, she was flooing to her parents house. It was the best and fastest way to get there.

"Pansy!" Mrs. Parkinson cried out as her daughter stumbled out of the old fireplace in their mansion outside of London. Pansy stood up, dusted herself off and hugged both her parents. All three of them sat on the couch.

"Oh, we're so happy to see you! How's the shop?" Pansy's mother beamed. Pansy told her parents all about how business at the shop had improved and sales had gone up substantially over the past few weeks.

"Well you look beautiful." Mr. Parkinson smiled under his salt and pepper moustache.

"And it's a good thing too!" Mrs. Parkinson stood up from the couch, "Since we're going out tonight." Pansy gave her mother a puzzled look. "I know it's short notice but we got invited to a charity dance yesterday. Its to help raise funds for those wizards effected by the flood down in Yorkshire."

Pansy was never one to pass up a dance. She loved to dress up and eat food commoners could barely pronounce. "Of course! But I didn't bring anything to wear. I could go back to my flat."

"No, no, no. I've got something for you dear." her mother said, giving Pansy a reassuring pat.

That night, Pansy slipped into the long, dark green dress her mother had picked out for her. She didn't know how her mother did it, but whenever she made something for her daughter it was perfect. It hugged her body perfectly and the colour complemented her skin tone. She was beginning to think her mother used some sort of spell. Pansy had styled her long dark hair into waves that fell down her back. She put on some gold heels and was ready to go.

Pansy hadn't been to one of these functions in a long time. Probably not since she had moved out of her parent's house two years ago. Pansy smiled as she entered the grand hall. It was covered in twinkling lights and candles were lit at every table. Next to each candle was a glass vase centerpiece with white lilies. Pansy smiled at the sight. It was good to be back.

As the Parkinson's walked towards their table, Pansy heard a familiar voice. She turned around to see Draco Malfoy laughing with Gregory Goyle. Of course he would be here. His family was the highest of high society. Pansy sighed and took her seat. Maybe he wouldn't notice her.

The night dragged on as usual. Dinner was served: Boulette d'Avesnes followed by canard and chouquettes. They really loved French food around there. Pansy poked at her last chouquette with distaste. She was too full to eat another bite. Then the band began to play. It was a slow song.

"May I have this dance?" Thomas Rochester asked her. Thomas was a good friend of the Parkinsons. Pansy had known him since she was an infant and he was two years her senior. His curly brown hair had been straightened for tonight's occasion and he looked quite good.

"Of course." Pansy smiled and began to dance with her longtime acquaintance. Pansy cringed; she could see Draco and Astoria dancing a few feet away. She had her head on his shoulder and his hand was stroking her straightened hair. Pansy could feel jealousy creeping into her consciousness. She was so angry at herself for feeling this way. She had ended her relationship with this man 6 years ago. How was she still not over it?

"Excuse me." Pansy politely left Thomas and sat down at her table again. She wanted to go back to her flat and snuggle in her bed. Pansy looked down at her feet and began fidgeting with a napkin. There were still two more hours left of the party. Maybe she would just tell her parents she wasn't feeling well and leave early. Just then, two shiny onyx black Wentworth shoes appeared in front of her. Pansy looked up slowly. He was standing in front of her wearing a jet black suit with a white shirt and a blood red tie. He looked absolutely divine.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked.

Pansy's heart jumped. "Why would I? I think it's insanely inappropriate to call your _married_ ex-boyfriend. Don't you?" she said sternly.

He smiled and gave a small laugh, "So what? We can't talk? It would have just been an innocent chat between old friends. Like the one we're having now." he was smirking at her. Just like he used to in high school. It made her stomach flutter. He would only do it when he was trying to seduce her.

"Anyway, I lost it. Your number that is…" Not true, she still had it in her kitchen drawer.

"That's fine. Give me yours." he said as he took out a pen from his jacket pocket. He grabbed a napkin off the table and placed them both in her lap. Pansy sighed and wrote down her muggle phone number.

"Are you sure your wife doesn't mind?" Pansy asked reluctantly giving him the napkin.

"She doesn't own me." he rolled his eyes, "Thanks for the digits Pans. I'll definitely call." he smirked at her again and placed his hand on her knee, gently brushing it as he disappeared into the dance floor once again.

* * *

It was raining the day Pansy returned to work after visiting her parents. Rachel was putting away boxes in the back while Hannah swept the floors. It was nearly time to open but no one seemed to be walking down Diagon Alley that morning. It was going to be another slow day. The news that Draco Malfoy had visited the store had died down, taking the overflow of customers with it.

"This place is dead. Ask Draco Malfoy to come in again, boss." Rachel said as she leaned against the counter. She poked the unused register and sighed.

"I barely know Draco Malfoy." Pansy lied. She looked outside the window of her store and pouted. Why wasn't anyone coming in anymore? Diagon Alley was getting emptier and emptier each month.

"He's in the paper today. Again." Rachel tapped Pansy on the back with the Daily Prophet, startling her. "Talking about assimilation. Don't you think it's cool? I really want one of those cellular phone things. You have one don't you?"

"Yeah, I do." Pansy said as she took the paper from her employee's hands. Draco was smiling on the front page, surrounded by a bunch of muggle gadgets, including a cell phone, a television, and an mp3 player. The movement to adapt muggle customs had started almost two years ago. At first, many people thought it was ridiculous. It seemed hard to believe that muggles had anything to offer without magic. But as it turned out, muggles had invented dozens of things that wizards hadn't even thought of. With the invention of the computer, they had quickly advanced, and wizards were far behind. So, many wizards, mostly rich ones who could afford such technology, we jumping on the muggle bandwagon.

Draco Malfoy, the current Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, was running for the newly formed position of Ambassador for Muggle Relations. This position would land him an office with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom- Mister Tony Blair himself. But he was running against a formidable foe. The opposition was an older man who appealed to the senior wizarding crowd and his views were much more traditional. Roger Pladstone believed that wizards shouldn't mingle with muggles and that their gadgets weren't needed. His idea of "muggle relations" was to make sure muggles didn't catch on to the wizarding world.

"I don't like that Pladstone fellow. His ideas are ancient. Like him." Rachel laughed and Pansy smiled. The younger generation was all for assimilation. They would be the ones to vote for Draco. Pansy chuckled to herself. She used to be just like Roger Pladstone. In fact, so did Draco. But both of them changed after the war. Pansy had seen too many lives ruined over such ideas. She decided not to be that way anymore. Experience had taught her that life was too short to be so angry and miserable. It was better just to let go.

Pansy was about to say something else, when her cell phone began to ring. She fished the silver gadget out of her pocket and held it up to her ear. "Hello?" she said stepping away from Rachel.

"Hey it's Millicent. You want to come over tonight? I bought a television this morning. Can't bloody figure out how to hook it up." Millicent grumbled over the phone.

"Sure, sounds interesting. Is it big?" Pansy asked.

Millicent coughed, "Kind of. Real heavy though. Had to levitate it in." she phone crackled.

"Alright, as soon as I'm done working I'll be over. Bye." Pansy clicked the phone off after Millicent had said 'goodbye' as well and peered out the window once more. A few people were walking down the cobblestone street but not nearly as much as there used to be. This was not good for business at all. For a moment Pansy wished that Draco Malfoy would walk into the store again. If only for the purpose of saving her shop from going under.

"I'm pretty sure this plug thing goes into the wall." Tracy said, holding up the black electrical cord that was attached to the flat screen television.

"Then you gotta press that red button to turn it on." Pansy said. Millicent pressed the button and instantly images popped onto the television screen. The three women let out audible gasps. Muggle technology sure was impressive. How in the world did they get people on the screen like that without any magic?

"The cable guy came in today and hooked up the box." Millicent pointed to the grey box on the TV stand. "Apparently I get hundreds of channels! Look! They're like radio shows with pictures." She flipped through the variety of channels quickly. Tracy and Pansy stood, mouths open, as images flicked by every time Millicent pressed a button. Pansy was definitely getting one of those in her house.

Millicent stopped at a channel that was showing some sort of game show. The three of them settled into the couch and began to watch.

"Hey doesn't that guy look like Jeremy?" Tracy nudged Millicent with a giant smile on her face. She was referring to the attractive host of the show.

"Oh yeah he does sort of. Where does he work again?" she tried to ask casually.

"I think it was…_not_ for Draco Malfoy." Tracy said a-matter-of-factly.

"Oh come on!" Pansy groaned and put her head in her hands, "Can't we go one day with you two setting me up? I mean it's not as if you have boyfriends either!"

"Sorry Pans we just want to help." Tracy said, giving Pansy puppy dog eyes. Pansy scowled. Her friends acted as though they thought she was totally incompetent. It wasn't as if she couldn't find a man. She was just very…choosy. He needed to be the right one.

"I'll make a deal with you okay? If I can find someone without your help within the next month, you two will stop bothering me." Pansy said in a firm voice. Her two friends looked puzzled at first, then, gauged each others reactions until they both smiled.

"Deal." They said together.

"But he has to be a really good guy!" Millicent declared.

"Fine." Pansy agreed but her heart sank. Where in the world was she going to find a guy that met her friend's standards in such a short time? The hunt was on.

**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews guys! I tried fixed any typos people may have noticed so hopefully the story is better. To bucktooth: I've never heard about wizards being weak to electricity. Not sure about that. If that is true, I guess my story will just be a little more AU then lol


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Short chapter. But Chapter 4 will be out tomorrow.

Even though London was full of them, finding a good man was proving to be much harder than Pansy first thought. In the past she had not really looked for men. They had simply found her. Now that she was doing the chasing, it was much more difficult. Also with integration it was hard to figure out who was a wizard and who was not. She couldn't very well go out with a muggle man.

Pansy made her way down the crowded streets of London. The weather was warm but the sky was overcast. She didn't visit downtown very often, as it was quite overwhelming. But if she was going to find someone by the next month she would have to step out of her normal boundaries.

She entered a large bookstore to start her hunt. She was looking for a smart man after all. Surely she could find someone intelligent in a bookstore. The store had two levels: Fiction on the bottom floor and non-fiction on the top. Pansy had always been a sucker for fiction novels. She loved the made up characters and adventures. Maybe she would find a guy who loved to explore different worlds as much as she did.

Pansy soon found herself eyeing a handsome man in the Adventure section. He was tall with sandy blonde hair and light stubble around his chin. He was tan and looked like the outdoorsy type. Pansy casually walked to the bookshelf opposite of him. He had his back turned to her, reading the back of a large hardcover book. Now that she was so close to him, her nerves were getting the better of her. She had never approached a guy before. Pansy suddenly realized how hard it must have been for guys to ask her out in the past. Pansy took a deep breath and tried to muster all of her courage. Just as she was about to tap him on the shoulder, another handsome man caught her eye.

Pansy sucked in a quick breath and held it. Was that who she thought it was?

Pansy quickly turned her head to the right and spotted Draco Malfoy on the other end of the bookshelf, looking through the interesting titles as well. Pansy suddenly froze in her tracks. She cursed quietly to herself. She wasn't going to get a break was she? Pansy dashed behind an old lady who was wide enough to cover her and then walked briskly back out on to the London streets. She slowed down to a normal walking speed, heart still pounding in her ears. That had been way too close. Maybe it was time to call it a day. She didn't want to risk running into him again.

Pansy looked behind her at the crowd of people walking down the street. Her stomach leapt into her chest.

"What the-" she choked. Draco Malfoy was walking down the street headed right towards her. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Pansy whispered to herself as she ducked her head down and weaved through the sidewalk traffic. She squeezed past a fat, balding man and slipped into a crowded coffee shop hoping she hadn't been seen.

She stood in line anxiously looking at the door expecting him to pop in any second. After there was no sign of him, she began to calm down.

"Black coffee, please." Pansy ordered and fished out some muggle change to give to the cashier. The young man handed her a fresh coffee and wished her a good day.

When Pansy turned to find a seat, she almost dropped her coffee as she bumped into Draco's chest. He stood in front of her, looking amused. Pansy immediately turned pink.

"Are you following me?" Pansy whispered harshly as she clutched her coffee against her chest and began looking for a table.

"Actually yes." Draco said as he trailed behind her, "I saw you coming out of the bookstore and stalked you all the way down here. I thought you'd never stop. These shoes aren't meant for walking." He dusted off his designer shoes and scoffed. Pansy rolled her eyes. He was more of a girl than she was.

Draco sat down across from her and folded his hands on the table. He was staring at her with a crooked smile, eyebrows raised. Pansy gritted her teeth. She had been trying her best to avoid the man but he just wouldn't give up.

"What do you want?" Pansy sighed.

"I just wanted to have coffee with you. And here we are." he spread his arms open to illustrate that they were, in fact, having coffee together. "Do you come to muggle coffee shops often?"

"Yes I do. This assimilation movement sounds like it might work." Pansy took a sip of her coffee and it burned but she played it off. The last thing she needed was to show any form of weakness in front of Draco Malfoy.

"That's my political pitch. Muggles really have some interesting and entertaining inventions that we really should take advantage of." he said seriously.

"I'm well aware of your stand on assimilation. I do read the papers." she cleared her throat. Pansy had only started reading the newspaper very recently. And the only reason she had been reading it was because Draco was on the front page practically every day.

"I'm surprised that you agree though. As I recall, you weren't a fan of muggles at Hogwarts." His hand was inching dangerously closer to hers.

"Yes, well, people change. Clearly." She looked him up and down and scowled. She discreetly placed her hand under the table.

"I'm surprised you did." he said softly. He looked like he was thinking back to their harsh break up. Their drastically different views of the war had been the reason for the relationship's demise.

"Well…erm. I should get going." Pansy said awkwardly trying to leave the situation.

"So soon? But we've hardly caught up." he said it in a serious way without any smirking or sarcasm laced in his voice.

"Yes, sorry. I've got things to do. Errands and such." Her heart squeezed at the lie coming out of her mouth. If Pansy could have had any wish, it would be that she and Draco had never broken up at the end of their seventh year. But she could not change the past now. And getting too close to him would destroy her. She could already feel the urge to be next to him. She needed to get away before it was too late.

"You better be on your way then." he replied, looking disappointed. Though there was still a glimmer in his eye: almost as if he had something up his sleeve. Pansy bit her lip nervously and then said goodbye to her ex boyfriend. As she walked by the coffee shop window she looked at him. He was still sitting with his eyes closed. One hand smoothed back his hair while the other clutched at the table. Pansy sighed and kept walking. She had been so sure she had left her past behind long ago. But suddenly it was appearing over and over again.

* * *

"How does she get her hair so _straight_?"

"And her makeup is _perfect_."

"_She's_ perfect!"

Pansy tried not to scowl as she overheard her employees cooing over Astoria Malfoy. She couldn't believe that after bumping into Draco the day before, his perfect wife had stepped into her little store again to wreak havoc on her life. Pansy was currently on her knees, picking out designer shoe after designer shoe for the perky, blonde, princess. Astoria had walked into the store that afternoon with her head held high in a form fitting aqua-coloured dress with a light gold trim. Her black stilettos clacked loudly when she began to walk around the store, surveying the products, her bodyguard following closely behind her. After asking Pansy to fetch over 10 pairs of shoes, she sat down on a cushioned seat and tried on each one.

"Oh! I love them all Pansy!" she squealed when she tried on her last pair: a gold strappy number by an Italian brand. She plopped back down in the chair and stuck her foot out expectantly. Pansy forced back an eye roll as she removed the shoes for her and placed them back in the box carefully. "I think I will take them all." She clapped gleefully and the burly bodyguard began to pick up the boxes Pansy could not carry all at once.

Pansy eyed the enormous pile of boots, pumps, and stilettos on the counter. There must have been over 900 galleons worth of shoes about to be purchased. Though Pansy did come from a wealthy background, she had never once spent that much money in one day on shoes alone. How in the world was she paying for all this?

"Put it on my card." Astoria answered her question as she pulled out a shiny black card, "You do accommodate muggle credit cards right?"

"Of course." Pansy grumbled and swiped the plastic. She took a peek at the name on the card and saw 'Draco Malfoy' in shiny silver letters. Pansy pursed her lips as she handed the card back to the tall blonde after it was approved. She then packed five enormous bags filled with her purchases and handed them to the bodyguard who looked all but pleased to be a professional bag-holder.

"Thanks _so_ much Pansy. I'll totally be back and I'll tell all my friends. This place is so cute." she giggled and waved as she left the store. As if on cue, ten men with cameras swarmed her and began taking her picture and yelling incessantly at her. Astoria coolly put on her sunglasses and runway walked past the men into her car. But even when she had gotten inside, they didn't cease the harassment: even going as far as running after the car.

"Ugh she's so gorgeous. I hate her." Hannah pouted as the black SUV rolled away.

"She's on the cover of Witch Weekly." Rachel sighed longingly.

Pansy spun around and glared at her two workers. "Would you two get back to work!" she yelled, startling the girls immensely. With that, they scrambled back into the storage room to gossip in private.

Pansy balled her hands into fists and growled. That was all anyone talked about these days. 'Astoria this, Astoria that.' Like she gave a rat's ass what Astoria wore to the red carpet of some stupid award show. When had that bimbo become a celebrity anyway? And what was she famous for? Being pretty? Pansy scoffed and tied her hair into a messy bun on top of her head. Long ago she had been the glamour girl with other women fawning over what she wore. But so many things had changed since then. The war had affected her too much to act like that anymore. That's why she had decided to use her trust fund to buy her own place and open up a shop of her own. She wanted to find her own way in the world instead of coasting off of others.

Pansy often wondered what some of her old Hogwarts friends were doing now. Did they have good jobs? Were they married already? Maybe had children? Pansy paused at her last thought._ Children_. She was far too young to have children but her body still clenched up at the mention of them. Pansy shook her head in an attempt to chase the empty feeling away and held herself as a chill ran over her. But then she scrunched up her face in amusement, forgetting the painful memory. The thought of any of her old friends being grown up was so foreign to her. It was now Pansy realized that she was growing up too. And she had still had no luck in her love life or her work life.

"Come on." Pansy consoled herself, "You're only 23. Plenty of time to get things right." she said under her breath. Pansy picked up a broom and sighed. Years ago, she wouldn't have been caught dead holding a broom but now she did it everyday.

Unfortunately, her new outlook on life had caused her to lose many friends, including Astoria's older sister, Daphne. Pansy and Daphne had been best friends at Hogwarts but had a falling out shortly after graduation. Pansy chuckled as she thought about the sleepovers they used to have. Astoria had always wanted to tag along but she was never 'grown up' enough. Who would've thought that little Astoria Greengrass would grow up to marry Pansy's high school sweetheart. The underdog had certainly prevailed.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Chapter 4 as promised!

Draco woke up groggily, early Monday morning. It was so early in fact, that it was still dark outside. He groaned and rolled onto his back, his arm lightly hitting the sleeping woman next to him. He quickly looked over to see if he had woken her up, but she was still fast asleep, a blue, embroidered sleeping mask covering her eyes. Draco slowly slipped out from underneath the Egyptian cotton bed sheets, careful not to make any noise. He squinted at the clock, which read '5:30 am' and frowned. He was up at an ungodly hour for work, _again_. This campaign was turning out to be brutal. Between planning strategies, establishing his platform, preparing for debates, and holding town hall meetings, he was hardly ever home, let alone getting any sleep.

He slipped out of his shirt and boxers, tossing each into the laundry hamper. Still squinting tiredly, he entered the enormous master bathroom and fiddled with the nozzles of the shower. Once he deemed the temperature hot enough, he slipped inside and let out a groan of relief as the water hit his face and slid down his chest. Once he had scrubbed his body clean and washed his hair, he stepped out of the shower into the steamy bathroom, wrapped a towel around his waist and grabbed another one to dry his hair. He approached the foggy mirror and wiped away the condensation to reveal his clear reflection. His strong features stared back at him looking exhausted. He squeezed his dripping hair in the towel until it became damp and then walked back into the master suite.

His wife was sitting up in the bed, blonde hair frizzing wildly around her, sleeping mask pushed up to her forehead.

"Where are you going?" she mumbled sleepily, evidently still half asleep.

"Heading in to work early today." he said as he tightened the towel around his waist and headed for the closet.

"It's morning? But it's still dark." she pouted, "Come back to bed. Please!" she whined and Draco rolled his eyes behind her back.

"I've got a lot of work to do. I'm sorry." he grumbled and let the towel drop to the ground to put on a fresh pair of underwear. He heard Astoria moan from the bed and then the distinct sound of her body plopping back into the soft bedding.

Draco left the walk-in closet, fully clothed to find her asleep again. This time with one leg outside of the covers, causing her short nightgown to ride up, revealing her cute butt. Draco scoffed and smirked at the young woman. She was so poised in public but at home it was the total opposite. Unable to resist, he rushed over to the side of the bed and stared at her. She was a conventional beauty with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and full lips. She could cook and clean and sow, though that was hardly necessary with the amount of house elves he owned. And although she was annoying at times, she was a more than satisfactory wife. Draco smiled at her and placed a finger on her back, tracing random squiggles into the silky fabric of her black nightgown. They got along most of the time. Sometimes he even dared to call her 'friend'. Last night was a particularly good one in the marriage so far. Draco noticed the slow rising and falling of her back as she breathed in and out. He licked his lips as he remembered her back heaving merely hours ago as he leaned over her, his naked flesh pressed against hers. Yes, last night had been one of the best he ever had. And that was saying a lot, considering how much experience he had accumulated over the years.

The clock was showing 6 o' clock now. If he didn't leave soon, he would be late. He gave his wife one last look, grabbed his wand off of the nightstand and left the bedroom, into the dark hallway. Draco grabbed his keys after practically flying down the stairs, landing at the bottom with a thump. He tossed on a light Burberry trench to accommodate the cool early morning weather.

As he slipped on the black Wentworth's he had bought over a month ago, he chuckled. He hadn't expected to see Pansy that fateful day he and Astoria had decided to go shopping. It was strange seeing her again after being apart for so long. She looked older: more mature than before. But what surprised Draco about her was that she still intrigued him. She had always had something about her that made him curious. He remembered their first encounters at Hogwarts: she didn't want anything to do with him at first, which made him chase after her more. And once she was his, she took forever to give up the goods. He had never met someone so frustrating yet alluring. His taste for her had been insatiable back then. He would act aloof in public but when they were alone, his appetite for her flared in an almost uncontrollable way.

Draco gripped the doorknob tightly. His memories of his first love were becoming too vivid. He mustn't forget his promise to Astoria. Any encounter with Pansy would be strictly platonic. Draco found himself cringing at the word. _Platonic_. As if he could ever be platonic with a woman. The last six years had taught him that being 'just friends' with a female was damn near impossible. He wrenched the door open and hopped into the silver BMW parked in the driveway. When Draco had first moved into the neighbourhood, he was one of the very few who actually owned a motor vehicle. But in only two short years, many of the wealthy residents had invested in luxury cars.

Draco backed out of the driveway and began the short journey to the Ministry of Magic. As he drove, the sun began to rise

When he entered his office, his assistant was waiting for him with a hot cup of coffee and the latest issue of the Daily Prophet.

"Thank you, David." Draco said as he settled into his desk.

"You're welcome sir. Hope you enjoyed your weekend." David said cheerfully.

"I'm afraid I didn't have much time to enjoy myself but thank you for asking." Draco scanned the front page of the paper. He wasn't on the cover that day. Instead he saw a picture of his opponent, Roger Pladstone. He was giving a cheesy grin with two thumbs up to the camera. Draco rolled his eyes and shoved the paper to the side. That old man was getting on his nerves. Especially since he seemed to have no shady past like most politicians. No matter how hard he dug, he could find no incriminating evidence against the old coot. But he knew Pladstone was having him followed all the time, trying to catch him doing something bad. So Draco was very careful and always made sure he wasn't seen in any compromising situations. Of course, he had totally forgotten about that when he had seen Pansy a few days ago. He had followed her without even thinking. It had been foolish but it seemed he had lucked out that time. Evidently, he had not been followed that day and no one had seen him.

"Mr. Malfoy," David said, poking his head into Draco's office, "Your father is here to see you."

"Let him in." Draco nodded and prepared himself mentally for a meeting with his father.

Lucius Malfoy stepped into the circular office, his robes swishing dramatically behind him. His long hair was tied in a ponytail with a black ribbon on the end. Draco stood up when his father entered the room.

"Draco, I've just received the latest polls." His father said as she pulled out a piece of laminated paper from inside his robes. "We're ahead a few points but not by much. We could really use a scandal."

Draco repressed the urge to roll his eyes when his father said 'we'. As if the two of them were running for office, not just himself. "I've searched father. His records seem to be clean."

"Yes, '_seem'_!" Lucius exclaimed, "We'll have to dig deeper into our resources. Don't worry, I'll find someone."

"Alright." Draco sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Don't forget your mother wants you over for dinner tonight." Lucius yelled as he left the office. Draco groaned. He had forgotten that his mother had requested his and Astoria's presence at dinner that evening. He would have to call his wife at lunch to remind her.

"Mr. Malfoy." David said timidly. He had obviously seen his boss looking stressed, "I have some good news."

"What is it?"

"Mr. Johnson called. He's inviting you to the premiere of his newest movie. You plus three, sir." David smiled; clearly proud that he had delivered good news.

"Thank you. That _is_ good news." Draco grinned to himself. Finally! A quick break from work would do him good. But what was he going to do with three tickets? He would take Astoria of course. She was the media darling: it would be wonderful press. But who could he give the other two tickets too? Maybe his parents? Draco thought for a moment. Then suddenly he got an idea. An extremely stupid and reckless idea. He would give the tickets to Pansy. It was a perfect way too see her without crossing the line. His wife would be there and Pansy would bring a date as well. It was genius. Draco patted himself on the back for coming up with such a wonderful plan. Though, he did also have the urge to beat himself up for even thinking about Pansy. He was so desperate to see her again even if there would be no physical contact. That couldn't be healthy. It was best if he just forgot about her. But maybe he would just see her again _one more_ time and then that's it. Yes, he promised himself this would be the last time he pursued her.

Draco squeezed Astoria's hand as they stepped into Malfoy Manor. The house was just as he had left it two years ago. It was still surrounded by elaborate gardens of roses and tulips and dahlias. White peacocks walked around freely over the lawn and next to the grand fountain that spewed water in elaborate patterns. The large foyer still had marble floors and royal purple walls with a crystal chandelier hanging overhead.

His mother and father were waiting for them at the front door and greeted them warmly as they stepped inside. Mrs. Malfoy's hair was tied into a neat bun, extenuating her beautiful features.

"Astoria, honey, you look lovely." Narcissa's eyes sparkled genuinely. She grasped her daughter-in-law's hand and began pulling her into the dining room. Draco and Lucius stood in the foyer alone.

"How is everything with you two?" Lucius whispered so that the women wouldn't hear in the next room.

Draco shrugged, "Fine." he said shortly and began to walk in the direction the two Malfoy women had went.

Lucius grabbed his son's arm and gave him an apologetic look, "You're not still mad at me are you? After all these years?"

Draco stared at his father. The wrinkles on his face became more prominent when he frowned. Draco scoffed. Of course he still felt bitterness towards his father. It was him who had gotten him into this situation in the first place. Draco yanked his arm away from Lucius.

"Damn right I'm still mad." Draco whispered back.

"You're too young to understand-" Lucius stared but Draco cut him off.

"Exactly! I was so young. You didn't even give me a chance." Draco said, his voice raising a little.

"I gave you 18 years! You know how important this is!" Lucius' hands had turned into fists. "I'm sorry you feel things turned out badly for you. But one day you'll appreciate what I did."

"You took away my freedom." Draco stared at his father defiantly.

Lucius laughed, "Always the drama king." He stepped closer to his son and placed and hand on his shoulder. Draco didn't shrug away but hung his head and sighed instead. "You will learn to love her."

Draco did not respond but turned away from his father once again and walked towards the dining room. His mother and wife were already sitting at the dining table chatting excitedly. They fell silent and turned to face the men as they entered the room. Draco walked, stone-faced to his seat next to Astoria while Lucius maintained a pleasant demeanor as he sat across from him.

Astoria leaned over and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. Draco felt her warm hand but shrugged it away coldly. He immediately regretted it as he realized it must have hurt her feelings greatly. He would apologize for his behavior later. It was not her fault he was so upset and it wasn't right for him to take it out on her.

"Thank you for coming over tonight, Draco. I know you're busy." Narcissa said as she patted her son's hand across the table.

"It was no problem." Draco smiled. In the corner of his eye, he could see Astoria sulking. He placed a hand on her knee under the table and she seemed to perk up.

"Then it's right back to work right, son?" Lucius said in a serious voice. Draco ignored his father.

"Astoria," Mrs. Malfoy tried to break the tension in the room, "Your boots are just lovely. Where did you buy them?"

"Oh!" Astoria said, surprised. Her mouth pulled into an uncontrollable grin and she sat up straighter, craning her neck proudly. "I found them at this lovely shop in Diagon Alley. And guess who owns it." She paused for affect and Draco's eyes flew wide open, "_Pansy Parkinson_." she giggled.

Narcissa Malfoy's face suddenly fell. She turned to her husband to see him frown for a moment but look calm the next. Draco sighed audibly.

"Oh. Well, that's lovely." Narcissa said awkwardly.

"Can you believe it? She _served_ me." Astoria said, feigning sympathy. She put her hand over her heart and shook her head in pity. Draco rolled his eyes, earning him a glare from both his parents.

Draco kept his eyes mainly on his food for the rest of the meal. He only looked up when he was being spoken to which was rare as Astoria and Narcissa did most of the talking. Unfortunately, it gave him time to think about Pansy again. He remembered when he had first met Pansy. She had moved into the house behind theirs the summer before first year. She was a very outspoken little girl who thought boys were gross. But, by the time they had turned fourteen, Draco had convinced her otherwise. She had gotten along with his family very well and both of his parents had grown very fond of her. Both had been quite disappointed when, what seemed like the perfect pair, split up.

He looked up at his father for a moment to catch him smiling as though he were remembering a pleasant memory. Draco raised his eyebrows at his father's expression. What was the old man thinking about now? Surely not the same thing Draco was thinking. Draco suddenly became angry again. If his father had been so fond of his girlfriend then why had he not given her a chance? If he had simply waited a few months things would have been so different. He would be sitting here with Pansy instead of Astoria.

Draco turned to look at his gorgeous wife. Astoria was perfect in so many ways. Especially the fact that she reminded him of the old Pansy. But Draco had come to understand long ago that himself and the old Pansy were not meant to be. Though they had loved each other very much, they had become two different people. The problem was, he had seen a new Pansy lately: a kinder, more mature Pansy. And he couldn't help but like what he saw. Suddenly it seemed like their personalities meshed again. But it was such horrible timing. Draco's heart thumped loudly in his chest as he remembered the tickets stashed in his briefcase. Deep down he knew seeing her again would trigger something inside of himself that could not be undone but the impulse was too strong. Tomorrow, though he would try to resist, he knew he would call her and invite her to the premiere. He simply had to see her again. He_ had_ to.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Hello, hello, hello! Chapter 5! Sorry it took so long. I know you guys had some questions so I'll try to answer them lol. Regarding the sweeping and the shoes, I basically wrote it that way for effect. Astoria knows that Pansy and Draco have serious history. She is determined to treat Pansy like a servant to show that she's better than her now because Astoria wasn't as popular as her at Hogwarts. Concerning the timeline, yes, Pansy's birthday is coming soon! So hold on for that. And I believe I mentioned earlier that Pladstone is trying to prevent muggles from discovering the muggle world, so the muggles don't know what's going on yet! Except for the high ups in the government of course. More information about that will be revealed. Anyway, enough with this author's note and on to the story!

Pansy awoke with a jolt to the sound of her cell phone ringing loudly. She scrambled for the phone and pressed the talk button angrily.

"Hello?" she said groggily, her voice cracking slightly from not using it all night.

"Hey!" said Draco's cheery voice over the cell phone. Pansy's head instantly hit the pillow again at the sound of his voice. She groaned out loud at her misfortune. "Did I wake you?" he laughed.

"Yes!" Pansy growled.

"It's 10:30am." Draco replied dryly, "Get your arse out of bed Parkinson!"

"What do you want Malfoy." Pansy gritted her teeth. He had some nerve waking her up on her day off and then ordering her to get out of bed.

"I happen to have two extra tickets to Walter Johnson's new movie premier. Wondered if you'd like them. You and a friend." he said quickly. Pansy's brain slowly processed what she had heard. He was inviting her to a major director's movie premiere?

"You want me to go with you to a movie premiere?" Pansy said in a confused voice.

"No! I have extra tickets for you and a friend. Are you interested?" he asked again more forcefully.

Pansy thought for a moment. Okay, so it wasn't just her. She could invite a friend. It sounded innocent enough. Especially after just waking up. "Alright sure." she said sleepily.

"Okay I'll be there soon to drop off the tickets." Draco said and then hung up the phone.

Pansy shot out of bed in a panic. Draco Malfoy was coming to her house _now_?

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Pansy shrieked as she began flinging off her pajamas and hopped into her shower. She had barely washed off all the suds when she jumped back out and frantically began searching her closet for something to wear. She settled on black pants and red sweater; they had been among the first clothing she had spotted.

Pansy raced back into the bathroom to put on some make up and brush her hair. She cursed Draco for insisting on coming over on such short notice. How was she supposed to look presentable if he was on his way already? Then, as if on cue, she heard the buzzer that let her know someone was in the lobby for her. Pansy pressed the button to answer the call.

"Hello?" she said even though she already knew who it was.

"It's me." he said. She could hear the smirk in his voice and her heart sped up a little.

"Come on up." she squeaked and then rushed back to the bathroom to brush her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do because she could hear him knocking at her front door.

Pansy stood up straight and slowly pulled the door open. She held her face in a calm expression as best as she could as she addressed him.

"Hello." she said softly. He appeared before her in a navy blue suit. His hair was styled so that his bangs flopped above his right eye casually.

"Hey, here you go. Two tickets for Saturday. Red carpet access. Of course no one will know who you are, but that's okay." he said as she fished two tickets out of his pocket and handed them to her.

"Thanks." She accepted them, "Hold on." Pansy said as she yanked a knot out of her damp hair. "How did you even know where I live?"

"I work at the Ministry." he said casually as he stepped inside the flat, "You're listed."

Pansy cringed. Had he known where she was this entire time? She watched as he entered her home without permission and began snooping around.

"Nice place." he leaned on the couch, "No TV?"

"I've been meaning to get one actually." she blushed.

He ignored her and continued to look around the room. She anxiously followed behind him, still wondering why he had not left yet. Suddenly he whirled around and was facing her. Pansy took a step back to avoid bumping into him.

"I better get back to work." he smiled. He was standing dangerously close to her. Before she could take another step back, he had weaved around her and headed for the front door.

"Uh, sure!" she stumbled on her words as he left the apartment.

"See you Saturday!" he yelled halfway down the hall. Pansy looked at the two tickets in her hand. Who would she ask to go with her? This would have been perfect if she actually knew any guys. Pansy sighed. She would just have to choose between one of her girlfriends.

* * *

Draco's body still burned with heat as he sat in his car, breathing in deeply. It had been foolish of him to invite himself over to her apartment. His father had suddenly insisted on hiring bodyguards to protect him from prying paparazzi so he had to dodge two burly men that morning to get there.

When he had heard her voice over the phone that morning he couldn't help but smile. She sounded so sleepy and adorable. It reminded him of the mornings he would call her at her bedroom window during the summers of their later teenage years. She would open the window and answer him in a worn out voice as she rubbed her eyes. Then he'd climb up to her and spend the rest of the early morning cuddled next to her in the bed. Neither of their parents ever knew of their meetings at sunrise.

Thinking back on old times, he had impulsively decided to rush right over with the tickets. The trip had been worth it. Seeing her again brought his heart great relief. Though he cursed himself for being so weak, he could not help but to be happy in her presence. It was not long though, before the urge to do something rash crept back up again. Draco then decided that it was time to leave before he succumbed to temptation.

Draco gripped the steering wheel tightly and pressed his forehead against the cool, hard material. His immaturity was slowly getting the best of him. Though he knew rationally that seeing Pansy would inevitably be the worst mistake he could make, he couldn't help but do it anyway. Draco laughed out loud at his unwavering stupidity. He was like a child who wanted candy that his father refused to buy for him.

Suddenly, someone tapped on his car window. Draco jumped at the loud noise and turned to see Roger Pladstone standing beside his car, flanked by two bodyguards of his own. He was dressed smartly in a black suit and his grey hair was slicked back neatly. Draco scowled as he turned the window down.

"What's so amusing in there, Malfoy? Remembered a good joke?" Roger said as he leaned over the glass, "Or have you finally cracked under the pressure?"

"What are you doing here, Pladstone?" Draco grumbled. This was the absolute last thing he needed.

"Just wondering who you're visiting in this building. Shouldn't you be frantically trying to find a way to beat me?" Pladstone laughed and even his bodyguards chuckled along with him.

"Last time I checked, _I _was winning." Draco laughed arrogantly as he stepped outside of the car, causing Pladstone to back away quickly. "So shouldn't _you_ be trying to find a way to beat _me_?"

"Oh, and I will, son. You see, a very reliable source tipped me off about your whereabouts. Now I'm just wondering, who could you be visiting in the middle of a work day?" Pladstone had a crooked smile on his face as he began walking around Draco. Though he didn't show it, Draco's heart sped up considerably. "Your bookie? Your dealer? Your…_mistress_?"

"That's none of your damn business." Draco said in a tone that was more amused than angry, "You sure do try hard, Pladstone. But not hard enough." Draco got back into the car and smiled at his opponent, "Not hard enough."

Pladstone scrunched up his nose in disgust, "Why do you drive that thing anyway? Apparation is so much faster. Idiots, all of you." He laughed and the two bodyguards laughed again stupidly.

"It's not about speed, old man." Draco said smoothly as he slipped on a pair of designer sunglasses, "It's about style." With that, he shifted gears and sped off down the street, leaving Roger Pladstone in the dust.

* * *

"Oh-my-god!" Tracy screamed and began bouncing around her living room excitedly. "I'm _dying_ to see this movie!"

Pansy smiled at her friend's antics as she handed her the extra ticket. As it turned out, Millicent couldn't go because of work. Tracy wanted to see the movie more anyway. Plus, she was totally into flashy red carpet movie premiers.

"How in Merlin's name did you get these?" she asked, staring lovingly at the ticket in her hand.

"Oh, erm, just a friend of the family, you know…" Pansy lied quickly. The last thing she wanted was for Tracy to know she had seen Draco again.

"Can you imagine all the celebrities we'll run into?" Tracy stared off into space as she envisioned all of the possibilities. Pansy chuckled softly and blushed. She knew exactly which celebrity she'd run into. Is that why she had accepted the tickets? Just to see him? No, of course not. She did genuinely want to see the movie and she had never been to a premiere before. That was why she had accepted. The fact that Draco would be there hardly had anything to do with it. Right?

But unfortunately, as the days went by, she found herself wishing it were Saturday. With every passing day, her demeanor became more pleasant. So much so that her employees had noticed and tried to ask for extra days off. Pansy has gladly given it to them. She was starting to think that accepting Draco's gift had been a horrible mistake. Maybe she just wouldn't show up. Pansy immediately laughed at that thought. Her soul was much too weak and curious to not attend. She frowned at the hold he still held on her. Was she really that desperate? That she would cling onto someone else's husband? Suddenly, Pansy felt very pathetic. It was definitely time to try man-hunting again.

Late afternoon on Friday, she went searching for a potential boyfriend again. The time to find one was quickly running out and Pansy was beginning to feel pressure to win in the pit of her stomach. She pushed Draco Malfoy out of her mind and headed into her favorite restaurant on Diagon Alley. Unlike the clothing and variety stores on the south end of the street, the north end, filled with restaurants, was still experiencing a large flow of customers. Pansy stared at the crowd with jealousy. If only she could generate a mob like this. What was their secret?

"What can I get you, pretty lady?" said the rather greasy server when she sat down. He was pale and pimply but had a very nice smile. "Our special today is four cheese pizza!"

"Pizza? You serve muggle foods now?" Pansy stared in awe.

"Certainly do. Please feel free to try a Snickers Bar!" the young man smiled as he pointed to a basket on the table filled with muggle candy bars.

"Snickers…bar?" Pansy was totally puzzled. When had this happened and how had she missed it. No wonder there were so many people here! Anything that had to do with muggles was a hot commodity these days.

Pansy quickly ordered a burger and fries and surveyed the place. There seemed to be a few single men from the same group wandering around. Only two of them were cute though. Pansy shifted all her hair to one shoulder and craned her neck. This move always got her attention back in school. Maybe it still worked.

Sure enough, one of the cute guys noticed her from across the room and began to walk over. Pansy smiled coyly. She could feel herself winning the bet already.

The man with curly brown hair and dimples, smiled as he leaned over her table and spoke confidently, "Any room at this table?"

"Definitely." Pansy squealed on the inside.

"I'm Greg." he said as he slipped into the chair opposite of her. His voice was so deep and alluring. He sounded very mature.

"Pansy." she replied. "I see you're here with your friends. They won't mind you ditching them?" she teased.

"Nah, you're too pretty to pass up and they know it." He smirked at her and Pansy felt herself blushing.

"Thanks so much." she said shyly and at that moment the pimply server came back with her order. "So what do-"

"Is that meat?" Greg almost yelled as he stared at the hamburger in horror.

"Y-yes?" Pansy said, unsure of what was going on.

"You eat meat huh?" he said in a judgmental voice, "Don't you know what they do to those poor cows to get that meat your eating?"

"Uhh…" Pansy stared at her food and then back at Greg who looked like he might throw up.

He sighed and stood up, "Should've known you were one of _them_." He scoffed and walked back towards his friends.

Pansy sat dumbfounded for a few moments. Had he honestly just left because she ordered a burger? What was he doing in a place that served so much meat then anyway? Pansy snorted to herself, causing the people at the next table to stare at her. She then realized that this must be some kind of sign. She was just destined to never find a man and be a lonely spinster who knitted all day for her would-be grandchildren. And she would have to endure failed date after failed date until she died of some horrible disease that only unmarried women could catch.

Pansy lugged herself back to her apartment and collapsed on the couch. Tomorrow she would be diving into her past again when she saw Draco. She was both excited and terrified. There was only a small chance she'd actually talk to him anyway. She'd be dodging him like a flesh eating disease all night too. Pansy still couldn't figure out why in the world she would go to such an event if she didn't want to see him. It would be best to stay home but as the thought entered her mind again she became amused at her resistance.

She sat up on the couch and stared at the wall in front of her. Her apartment didn't have enough to distract her from Draco Malfoy. It was definitely time to buy a TV.

**A/N**: Not a super interesting chapter, sorry. The next one has more happening.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Thanks to the (two x_x) people who commented. Glad to know someone out there is reading lol

Saturday had finally come and Draco found himself in the back of his limo, his stomach tied in uncomfortable knots. Astoria was situated all the way on the other side of the vehicle. She was currently obsessing over her appearance in a hand mirror.

That morning he had woken up feeling excited but as the day had worn on and the event approached, he felt himself getting more and more anxious. His palms had been so sweaty he found it difficult to button his shirt. It wasn't like him to be so nervous but he couldn't help it. He would be seeing _her_ again today. God, he felt pathetic. Getting this worked up over a woman. It was like high school all over again. He felt like the horny 14 year old that had first lusted after Pansy after he had seen her half naked, having just come out of her swimming pool. Except she didn't have to be wearing a bikini to make him excited.

When the limo stopped, Draco's heart nearly exploded. He quickly looked over at Astoria who was still pouting into the mirror and shouted, "Get over here and act like my wife will you?"

Astoria glared at him for a moment but then slid over to where he was sitting and linked arms with him. The chauffeur then pulled the car door open, and the low murmur of voices from outside turned into an intense roar. Hundreds of screaming fans lined the red carpet and photographer's cameras flashed as the couple stepped out of their stretch limo.

Astoria was in her element. She walked out, still holding onto Draco, with elegance and grace.

"Astoria! Astoria! Over here!" the photographers yelled at her to look their way. Draco heard his name being called as well and smiled for the cameras just as she did. Though in the corner of his eye, he tried to see if Pansy was anywhere nearby. He was disappointed when he did not see her. Maybe she had already arrived since the 'nobodies' tended to appear first.

They soon left the red carpet and entered the theatre which was swarming with celebrities.

"I'll meet you in the theatre mkay?" Astoria said in a bored voice as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. She looked in the direction of her famous gal pals and waved.

"Yeah, sure." he said and practically pushed her in the direction of her friends.

He soon found himself wandering around the theatre hallways trying to find Pansy. Though it was proving to be rather difficult when everyone he passed by stopped him for a chat. He had spent almost ten minutes talking to one of the actors in the film when a sexy voice purred behind him.

"Oh William stop teasing." The woman giggled behind him. Draco knew that voice anywhere. He excused himself from his conversation and tried to slip away before he was noticed.

"Hold on, love. Is that Draco Malfoy?" the man named William shouted, "Draco!"

Draco turned around reluctantly, "William Gray! Star of the show!" he fake laughed as he shook the blonde man's hand. William was the lead actor in the movie and Draco was quite a fan but it was his date that he was trying to avoid.

"I've wanted to meet you for so long! I absolutely love what your doing for the wizarding world. Got my Ferrari in the back all thanks to you." he winked.

William's date was scowling at him but Draco refused to look in her direction.

"Oh! How rude of me. Daphne is my date tonight. Though you two have met already of course!" William laughed as he wrapped an arm around Daphne's waist. Draco grunted in Daphne's direction.

"Will, honey, could you excuse my brother-in-law and I for a moment?" she said in her husky voice and her date immediately melted.

"Of course! Of course!" he said enthusiastically and walked off in Walter Johnson's direction.

"Since when are you dating William Gray?" Draco scoffed at Daphne. She was looking her usually seductive self: donning a single-strapped white dress that cut off mid thigh and pale pink heels that made her 5 inches taller than usual.

"Since I heard about this movie." she said darkly.

"Of course. How else would you get in, right?" he laughed harshly but she didn't seem phased. "You sure haven't changed since Hogwarts. Still the same skank."

That sent her over the edge, "Ha! You're one to talk. I bet you've slept with most of the women in this room." she retorted back. Draco scowled at her accurate assumption.

"Always been jealous haven't you?" he said softly, "I know that's why you hate me so much. You totally want me!"

Daphne pursed her lips, "Urgh disgusting. As if I'd ever…"

"It's okay to admit it." he smiled, "I'm up for it." he joked but she took it seriously. She stepped closer to him and their hands almost touched.

"You better keep your promise, Draco."

Draco grabbed Daphne's hand and pulled her against him, "What are you gunna do if I don't?" he smirked. He was trying to make her feel uncomfortable and it was certainly working. He felt her palm turn clammy.

Daphne gripped his shoulder and dug her nails into his jacket. "I'll make your life miserable." she whispered in his ear, "Don't embarrass my sister." She pushed herself away from their compromising position and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Yeah, yeah." he said, dismissing her, "It was nice chatting with you Daphne but I've really go to go."

"Looking for Pansy huh?"

Draco stared at her, his brain trying to figure out how she knew that. She grinned widely at his confusion.

"What-" he started but she cut in.

"I saw her with some homely girl buying popcorn. I knew you had something to do with her being here." she said angrily, "You better not be fucking around again, Draco."

"Oh, will you mind your own business." he said rolling his eyes. He was so sick of this nosy bitch.

"My sister is my business you piece of shit." she said under her breath so that the crowd passing by wouldn't hear. "I can't believe she got married to a jackass like you. I feel so sorry for her."

"You don't know anything about our relationship." Draco said calmly, "I care about Astoria."

"Then what's _she_ doing here!" Daphne pointed behind his shoulder and when Draco turned around he saw Pansy accompanied by another woman. Both seemed to be very excited to be there and neither had spotted him.

"I didn't invite her." he lied, "I'm so over her, don't get your panties in a bunch." Draco looked down at his sister-in-law's bare thighs, "Though I doubt you're wearing panties anyway."

Daphne smirked and turned around. Looking over her shoulder as she left, she said, "You're right, I'm not." Then she click-clacked away on the marble floor.

* * *

"Oh my god I just saw William Gray! Did you see him?" Tracy said, pulling on Pansy's arm excitedly.

"Yeah, I saw him." She smiled at her friend. Tracy had been freaking out over every celebrity, major or minor, since they had got there. Pansy still hadn't spotted the celebrity she was looking for. Though she had seen his wife. She had looked gorgeous per usual and Pansy had felt a twinge of jealousy.

"Ladies and gentleman!" said a loud, male voice somewhere near the auditorium doors, "Would you please take your seats in the auditorium. The movie will begin shortly."

Tracy squeaked and dragged Pansy to the doorway behind a crowd of people. The usher ripped their tickets and they entered the huge hall. It was filled with velvet red seats and a giant screen to play the featured film on. Hundreds of people were filling the room so the two women quickly went to find a spot. As Pansy sat down, she could see a roped off section four rows below, that she assumed where designated for the stars of the movie.

She scanned the crowd to try and find Draco but there seemed to be a lot of tall, blonde men attending the premier that day.

"Oh no! Is that what's-her-face?" Tracy gasped and pointed at a woman with dark hair and a gorgeous figure. She was holding hands with William Gray. Pansy suddenly got even more nervous when she realized who it was.

"It's Astoria's sister." Pansy scowled.

"Yeah, that bitch in your high school pictures! She's Astoria's sister?" Tracy sounded extremely intrigued. Pansy nodded and Tracy craned her neck to get a better look, "I can't believe she's here with William. Lucky!"

Daphne sat in the roped off VIP section next to William. Pansy sighed. She knew it was a bad idea to come here. There were too many people from her past in this crowd. Just then, she spotted Draco but Tracy saw him at the same time.

"There's the two-timer." She frowned and subtlety pointed to Draco who was accompanied by his wife. "I never liked that guy."

"He's not so bad." Pansy automatically defended him but soon after regretted it.

"Are you kidding?" Tracy whispered, "After what he did to you back then with the b-"

"Can we not talk about this here?" Pansy interrupted. Her heart was racing. She hated it whenever her friends brought up her break up with Draco. It was something she desperately wanted to forget.

"Sorry. Just slipped out." Tracy apologized. "But really, after…_that_ happened, you're still defending him? Man he must he _great_ in bed." she laughed but Pansy didn't laugh along. Draco had now seated himself three rows below, right behind the stars of the film.

He leaned over and whispered something into Astoria's ear. Pansy couldn't see her reaction to whatever he said but she quickly turned away from him and began talking to her sister in the row in front. Then, without warning, Draco's head whipped around to her direction. He was staring right at her.

Pansy stared back, "He's looking at me." she said to Tracy in the corner of her mouth. Tracy watched as Draco waved, very subtly, at Pansy. Pansy waved back awkwardly and he turned back to face the screen.

"What did you wave for!" Tracy scolded.

"It would be rude not to wave back." Pansy said lamely.

"Good! Be rude!" Tracy smacked her friend on the arm, "You haven't seen him since he came to the shop, have you?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. Course not." Pansy said nervously. Tracy didn't seem to notice her hesitation.

The lights began to dim and Pansy sunk into her seat. She wanted to go home very badly now. Maybe the movie would cheer her up.

It didn't. The ending turned out to be very sad. The main character's lover died at the end and the whole theatre was in tears.

"That was the saddest, most beautifully romantic movie have ever seen." Tracy sobbed into Pansy's bare shoulder.

"Stop, you'll get my dress wet." Pansy complained but Tracy continued to wipe her tears on her friend.

The lights in the theatre turned back and on and everyone began filing back into the lobby. People were buzzing about how good the movie was as they walked outside. It had turned dark while they were in the theatre and Pansy was ready to go home.

"Did you hear that just now?" Tracy said excitedly.

"What?" Pansy asked.

"There's an after party at some club down the street! We have to go!" she practically jumped up and down as she spoke.

"No way!" Pansy protested. Draco was going to be there for sure. Her stomach did a quick dive.

"Come on! Maybe you'll finally meet a guy there." Tracy winked and nudged Pansy's side.

Pansy closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Tracy could be awfully annoying sometimes. Pansy opened her eyes to see Tracy looking at her expectantly and Draco Malfoy in the background, his eyes fixed on her again. When Astoria tapped him on the shoulder he was forced to look away but it had been enough.

"Okay I'll go." Pansy said breathlessly and Tracy cheered.

* * *

Draco forcibly dragged himself to the stupid after party that was being held two blocks down from the theatre. Paparazzi followed him and Astoria the entire walk. He had really wanted to go after Pansy when he saw her outside the theatre. Even if it was just to ask her what she'd thought about the movie. But Astoria had kept a firm grip on him and he couldn't escape. Plus, Daphne was keeping a close eye on him as well. It wasn't until they entered the dark club that his wife let go of him and Daphne had followed her.

"Looks like it's just you and me." William smiled and patted Draco on the back. The two men walked towards the bar to order drinks.

"Just a Sprite for me." Draco said to William. Ever since he had gotten so drunk in sixth year he'd thrown up all night, he didn't like to drink very often.

"Wow you even order muggle drinks!" William laughed, "A Sprite for me too!"

"So, how'd you and Daphne meet?" Draco asked for kicks.

"At a friend's party. She was the prettiest one in there." he smiled reminiscently.

"Bet she was." Draco tried not to laugh as he took a sip of his drink. He wished he had brought some friends along with him so he wouldn't be stuck making small talk with William Gray but it was better than nothing. He would call up the boys tomorrow.

Draco leaned over the side of the bar and that's when he saw her. It was the same girl that Pansy had been with earlier. Did that mean that Pansy was here too? He quickly excused himself from William and walked down the bar. She was there sitting next to her friend sipping on some kind of fruity drink.

"Pansy!" he yelled over the loud music.

Pansy turned around obviously startled at the sudden sound of his voice behind her. Her friend choked on her drink at the sight of him.

"Draco!" she smiled but looked horrified. "Uh, Tracy this is Draco. Draco, Tracy." She gestured back and forth between them. Draco shook Tracy's hand, her mouth wide open. He took his hand back awkwardly.

"Excuse me!" yelled a tanned, heavily muscled man standing next to Tracy. "Do you want to dance?"

Tracy looked at Pansy, then Draco, then to the attractive man and back again, "You'll be okay right?" she asked Pansy. Pansy nodded. "Sure." she answered the man's question and flew off onto the dance floor. Draco smiled at his good luck.

"Didn't expect to see you here." he said as he sat in the seat Tracy had left vacant. "Still like to party huh?"

"Not really. Tracy dragged me down here." she sighed and avoided eye contact with him.

"We should go somewhere more private." Draco said. He could see someone with a camera in the distance.

Pansy looked reluctant, "Like where?"

"VIP" he gestured to his left where the entrance to the VIP lounge was located. He got off of the stool and offered his hand to her. She looked like the last thing she wanted to do was touch it. "Take it so we don't get separated." She stared at him suspiciously but decided to take his hand and let him lead her to the lounge.

Draco smiled at the feel of her hand in his again. She was just as soft as he remembered and her small hand still fit nicely against his.

The bouncer let them in without any question and they sat down in a purple booth in the far corner of the room. Draco closed the curtain around the booth.

"Is that necessary?" Pansy asked.

"To close the curtain? Yeah." he said without further explanation. As she sat down, she pulled her dress down to cover her legs. He sat next to her, hardly believing he had actually gotten her alone.

"You look nice today." he said looking her up and down. She crossed her arm over her stomach nervously.

"Thanks." she spoke quietly. Draco was not used to her being so shy. She had always been very forward and outspoken before. He would have to coax it out of her.

"Let me rephrase that. You look hot." He smirked. Pansy's eyes opened wide and then squinted into a frown.

"Excuse me?" she stood up and shouted.

"You heard me. I think you look hot. Not a crime is it?" he smiled at her fiery reaction.

"You-you really are disgusting." she stammered.

"Now you don't mean that." He stood up to find he wasn't much taller than her with her heels on. He stepped closer to her but she backed away. He stepped forward again but grabbed her hand to make sure she didn't move. He had used the same technique on Daphne earlier.

"Draco, let me go." she pleaded as she tried to yank her hand away. His grip was too strong.

"No, wait. I was just joking Pans." He smiled and put a hand on her creamy, bare shoulder.

Suddenly Draco heard the distinct sound of a curtain being pulled.

"Hey, Draco, you in here? I brought drinks!" yelled a male voice from the entryway. Draco and Pansy stood frozen as they stared at William Gray who had just caught them in a very awkward position.


	7. Chapter 7

Draco quickly leaped away from Pansy and blushed.

"Oh! Sorry. I'm interrupting something." William said slowly and began to back out of the booth, holding a tray of shots.

"No! You're not." Draco yelled quickly. He needed to make it perfectly clear that he was not cheating on his wife. Not at that moment anyway.

"Uh, well alright then. Asked a girl out there where you went. Told a bunch of people to meet us here too if that's alright." he said as he set the tray down on the table.

"That's fine." Draco said politely although he was disappointed he and Pansy were no longer alone. Though he had no idea what in the world he was going to do to her. He had just wanted to see her again. But he had gotten carried away before he knew it.

"Oh, right, this is Pansy by the way. Old friend." he introduced Pansy who was sitting again, staring at her feet.

"Nice to meet you Pansy. William Gray." He extended her hand to her and she shook it.

"I know who you are." she smiled, "I think I better go now, Draco." Pansy said quickly trying to leave. Draco wouldn't let her.

"No." he said firmly and whispered in her ear, "I finally get to hang out with you and you're ditching me? Just stay for a bit."

Pansy looked at him and bit her lip. It looked at though she was battling hard with herself about what to do.

"Just one drink. I know you like to drink." His eyes twinkled with mischief. Finally, her shoulders relaxed and gave into temptation.

"Fine. One drink." she glared at him and he beamed.

But, of course, it was more than just one drink. He knew Pansy all too well. Once she started drinking, she tended not to stop until she was drunk. William had invited half a dozen more people into the private booth and the place was turning into a mini party. Draco soon found himself sitting very close to Pansy as she began slurring her words.

"William!" she shouted to get his attention. An equally drunk William looked over at her. "Pass me another one!"

"No problem babe!" he said and brought another shot of firewhiskey to her. Pansy immediately chugged it down. "Where'd you find this girl, Draco? She's awesome!"

Draco, who was still totally sober, shook his head in amusement. "I think you've had enough." He took the shot glass out of her hand before the girl next to her could refill it with the bottle in her hand.

"But you said one more drink!" she whined and hit him across the shoulder.

"Yes but that was about a dozen drinks ago." he laughed. "I should probably take you home now. I'll call the driver."

Draco hoisted Pansy up and led her out of the club's back entrance. She wasn't stumbling very much but Draco was looking for any excuse to hold her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and draped her arm over his shoulders.

"Wait! What about Tracy?" Pansy said in a panicked voice.

"Hey, relax. I'm sure she got home fine. Now get in the car." He opened the door for her. Pansy fell into the limo and Draco slid in behind her. She clumsily put on her seatbelt as the car began to drive in the direction of her apartment.

"Heeeeey." She turned to him suspiciously, "Where's your wife?"

"Back in the club I suppose. Or maybe she went home, not sure." He slid next to her and put his arm around the seat's headrest.

"You don't go home together?" she asked.

"Nope." he said casually.

"Are you _really_ married?" she asked drunkenly. The shoulder strap on her dress had fallen down. Draco leaned over her to fix it.

"Yes." he said quietly as he placed the strap back in its original position. Pansy stopped breathing when his body brushed against hers. When he sat back down properly she let out a big sigh and closed her eyes.

A few moments of silence passed until she spoke again. "Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"You still think I look hot today?" she murmured. Draco smiled. She was clearly beginning to fall asleep.

"Yeah, I do." he whispered but it was unlikely she heard him. Draco had experienced her drunken nights before when Slytherin used to hold parties every weekend during seventh year. Things had gotten seriously out of hand while the Dark Lord had reigned over the school. His house had basically been permitted to do anything they wanted. He remembered one night, exhausted from his 'Death Eater duties,' he had gone to sleep early only to wake up two hours later to find Pansy sucking him off.

Draco licked his lips at the memory of the girl sleeping next to him. He cautiously put his arm over her shoulders and pulled her limp body next to him. He was tipping dangerously close to the edge but, at that point, he didn't care. He wasn't going to let her slip away this time.

The car stopped in front of Pansy's residence and Draco gently shook her awake. Pansy groaned and slipped out of the limo, barely noticing he was there. He quickly followed her up the steps (which she had managed not to fall down) and held the heavy door open for her.

"You got your keys?" Draco asked. Pansy fumbled around in her purse for a moment until she found the silver keys to her building.

"Right here!" she smiled with her eyes shut and jingled the keys in his face. He grabbed her wrist to stop the jingling and her eyes flew open at his touch. Pansy looked at him, her face stained with pink. She quickly pulled her hand away and clumsily jammed the keys into the hole.

"You want me to walk you up?" he asked tenderly as he held the door open with his body. Pansy stood in the lobby, her hair askew, one leg crossed awkwardly behind her. The building's guard was eying them and he seemed to recognize Draco.

"N-no I'm fine." She tucked her hair behind her ears shyly. Draco stepped towards her, letting the door close behind him.

"We should go out again some time." he propositioned her.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Pansy said sternly. Draco frowned. She was still rational even though she was hammered.

"Me either." he spoke honestly. Pansy's face scrunched up in confusion, "But somehow that doesn't stop me." he whispered. He looked at the guard who didn't seem to be paying much attention anymore but it was better safe than sorry.

"Look, Draco I-"

"Shh." He cut her off by putting a hand over her mouth, "I don't want to hear your excuses. Meet me tomorrow afternoon at that same coffee shop. 3 pm sharp."

He turned around and pushed the door open to make his exit. Then he looked back and told her, "Don't be late." And rushed back into the waiting limousine.

* * *

Pansy woke up the next morning smelling like a mixture of sweat and cologne. She was in her own bed but she could barely remember how she got there. She sat up slowly, trying to calm her dizzy head. She looked down and realized she was still wearing the same dress from last night. She must have just collapsed into bed as soon as she got home. Home…how had she gotten home?

She scratched her head and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. After unzipping the dress with some difficulty, she took it off and put on an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts instead. Pansy wondered how long she had been out last night. The sun was shining brightly through her window. It looked as though it was afternoon already.

Her stomach grumbled with hunger so she headed to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast…or lunch, rather. As she pulled some milk from the fridge she caught a whiff of herself again. She still smelled like that familiar cologne. Had she been with a guy last night? Last thing she could remember was being the in VIP with Draco and then…

Pansy gasped. Suddenly everything rushed back to her.

"Oh crap." she said, smacking herself on the forehead. She had made a complete fool of herself last night. And she had clearly been all over Draco Malfoy if she smelled just like him. "Ah, oh no. Didn't he tell me to meet him today? Shit."

She looked over at the clock. It was still only 1:30. She had an hour and a half to get down there.

Too lazy to cook, she settled for a breakfast of bran cereal drenched in milk. She gulped it down and stepped into the shower. Reluctantly, she washed his scent off of her skin and hair. Pansy cursed herself for getting so drunk the night before. She should have known better than to drink so much in the company of Draco Malfoy. Especially considering the horrible mess she had gotten herself into the last time it had happened. Although, they had both been drunk that time so it was twice as worse.

"What am I doing trying to impress him anyway?" Pansy sighed as she curled the bottom of her hair with her wand. She had put on a cute dress and everything.

By the time she had reached the coffee place in downtown London, it was almost 3. As she stared at the outside of the shop, her body clenched. What in the world was she doing here? Everything about this encounter was wrong. So why did she want it so badly?

She looked in the window and saw him sitting there waiting for her. He had actually come early to see her. Pansy's chest fluttered at the sight of him. He was constantly checking his watch, anticipating her arrival. He was serious. He really wanted to keep seeing her. Fear gripped Pansy's heart. His intentions hardly seemed innocent last night and being someone's mistress was not something she was up for. Her brain slowly began to move her feet away from the window. It was too risky to go in. The odds of her resisting him were against her. So, instead of meeting him at 3 like they had planned, she began the short journey back home.

* * *

Draco waited for Pansy for an hour before deciding that she had either blown him off or been too drunk to remember. He would just have to find her later. For now, he had to get home before Astoria got suspicious.

His two bodyguards accompanied him home where his wife was tanning in the backyard. Astoria sat up when she saw him sliding the backdoor open to step into the grassy yard.

"Oh good you're home." She approached him in her white bikini with a smile.

"Did you miss me?" he joked as he grabbed her thin waist and caressed her back.

Astoria laughed, "Good one." But she pulled him in for a kiss anyway. Her lips coated his with sweet tasting gloss that he licked off afterwards.

"What do you want?" he grumbled. Whenever she was this happy to see him, she wanted something.

"Me? Want something? Never!" she gasped dramatically as she clung to him. He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed, "Okay, okay. I want a car."

"You have a car." Draco pushed her away and walked back inside the house. He heard her quickly scurry behind him.

"But it's a year old! I saw this really pretty one today and I want it! Please!" she begged as she hugged him from behind. He kept walking as she held on to him, dragging her along.

"Maybe after the campaign." he tried to reason with her.

"That's so far!" she moaned.

Draco turned around to face her, "Our funds are tied up right now. It costs money to win an election."

"I'll make it worth your while." She said in a sing-song voice and blatantly placed one of her hands on his crotch. Draco's fingers curled at the sudden stimulation. For a moment he considered maybe buying her an expensive car was worth what she would do to him but he managed to toss her hand away.

"No." he said firmly and settled himself on the living room couch. Astoria rolled her eyes at him and strutted back outside, making sure he saw exactly what he had passed up.

Draco sighed. It was like living with a child sometimes. She always wanted something from him. Whether it was clothes or shoes or some ridiculously expensive bag. The only perk was that he got to bang her at the end of the day. Too bad he had been thinking about someone else lately. After the premiere, he had officially given up on forgetting about Pansy. In fact, he was totally embracing it now. And he was determined to have her no matter how much she resisted. He would just have to keep calling and stalking her for as long as it took.

Draco Malfoy always got what he wanted; except for her. She had been his for a moment until she shattered his heart and left him for dead. His actions after the parting had not been his proudest moments but he was putting that behind him now.

He peered outside the window discreetly to look at Astoria. She was applying suntan lotion to her flawless skin. He felt slightly guilty that he was going to break the promise he had made to her just under a year ago. He knew if she ever found out he was cheating on her again she'd have his head. And worse, she'd tell Daphne. Daphne would have his balls. But it was worth the risk this time. Because this time it wasn't some random hook up. He hadn't wanted to admit it but his feelings for his first love still ran deep. He wasn't sure where his actions were going to lead him. He just knew he wanted to go in a different direction than he was now. He was sick of meaningless relationships; including the one with his wife.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Draco grinned. He had invited his friends over for cards and they had just arrived. Now if only he could get Pansy to come over that easily.

**A/N:** Draco, Draco, Draco. *Shakes head* You always have to have your way don't you? lol Chapter 8 will be up soon(This is where the M rating fully kicks in). Also don't forget to check out my Tom Riddle story, Joint Fixation, as well!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews once again guys! Alright...**WARNING WARNING** this chapter contains a very brief lemon (sexual content) *prays she doesn't get in trouble for this* If you don't like that sort of thing(what are you doing reading an M rated story for if u don't like lemons! lol) then skip the scene after the first line break. I'm warning you right now though, its kind of gross lol

"What the hell happened to you yesterday!" Tracy cried when she saw Pansy in the dim bar that night. Millicent joined them as well after returning from her work trip.

"Me? What happened to you?" Pansy yelled back.

"She went home with some guy." Millicent revealed. Pansy gasped.

"Only because I couldn't find you! I thought you left." Tracy pouted.

"I did. You left me alone so I went home." Pansy lied. She was lying a hell of a lot lately.

"I didn't leave you _alone_ technically." Tracy smiled innocently.

"No, but you left me with _him._" Pansy scowled.

"Who's him?" Millicent asked.

"Malfoy." Pansy spat as she remembered the humiliating night. Pansy had expected Draco to call her after she hadn't shown up for their 'date' but he hadn't even sent a text. Maybe he really didn't care then. Pansy's stomach sunk with disappointment.

"WHAT?" Millicent shouted causing the entire room to stare at her.

"Relax, I was fine. I went home _alone_." She pursed her lips at her friends, one of whom looked ashamed and the other horrified. Pansy shifted in her seat awkwardly worried that they would see through her lies. Though they weren't lies really. More like half-truths.

"I can't believe you left her with him! You _know_ what happened between them." Millicent scolded Tracy.

"I know. I know. I'm sorry." Tracy bowed her head as she apologized. "I tried to encourage her to find a guy but I guess after Malfoy came she just left."

"You're going to lose the bet for sure." Millicent laughed. Pansy had almost forgotten about the bet. She had pretty much given up anyway. Maybe another blind date wouldn't be so bad.

"Don't worry. We'll find you a man for your birthday!" Tracy laughed as well and Pansy actually cracked a smile. Her birthday was always her favorite time of year and it was only a week away. She had never had a less than spectacular birthday even when things weren't going well in her life. At least she had something to look forward to.

The following morning, Pansy opened up her newspaper to find Draco on the cover once again. He was talking about muggle grocery stores and the amount of energy it takes them to grow and transport food without magic. Pansy realized that she had never actually been to a muggle grocery store before. The way Draco described it made it sound even more intriguing. Maybe she would take a quick look today after work.

Unfortunately, after work, Pansy ran into a small problem. As she left her two employees to close the store themselves, she spotted a very handsome, blonde man across the street.

"Oh come on." she whined to herself. She tried to ignore him as she walked down the road.

"Pansy!" he yelled but she didn't acknowledge him. Pansy quickened her walk to avoid him but his legs were much longer than hers and he caught up easily.

"Are you seeing anybody?" he said breathlessly as he grabbed her wrist to keep her from running.

"You are rather forward Draco Malfoy!" Pansy yanked her hand away in disgust.

"Well, I suppose I am." he smiled. He stuck his hands in his pockets just like he used to when they went to school together. It was his 'I'm so cool' stance.

"You are _married._" Pansy whispered through gritted teeth.

"Technically yes-"

"What do you mean _technically_?" Pansy's brow crinkled with disbelief. Draco had turned a lot more despicable than before. He had simply not been the cheating type back when she knew him.

"Never mind." he grumbled. "Listen, I just want to hang out with you. Is that so wrong? I'm allowed to have friends."

"I-I don't know." Pansy hesitated. She desperately wanted to be close to him and it was scaring the living daylights out of her. She wasn't supposed to feel this way anymore. Not after all she had been through. She was stronger than that.

"My bodyguards are looking for me. I can't talk long. But please consider my offer." And for a moment, Draco Malfoy looked sincere. The cool façade had faded away and the real man was left underneath. Just for a moment. Then it went back to normal.

"Mister Malfoy!" Two large men in black suits shouted in unison. Draco swaggered towards them casually and chuckled.

"I'm right here boys! No need to panic. I'm fine. Honestly, I think father is really going overboard with the security. I can handle a paparazzo or two." The two men stood on either side of him and quickly guided Draco into a shiny grey SUV. He looked back at her before he shut the car door.

"I'll see you later." he said and Pansy sighed. She was never going to get rid of this guy.

Still determined to go muggle grocery shopping, she shook off the encounter and left Diagon Alley to enter London. The streets were swarming with people from the after-work rush. But it wasn't very hard to find a grocery store. The things were huge with big fluorescent signs.

Pansy cautiously stepped towards the doors. But just as she was about to push them open, they suddenly slid away magically. Pansy jumped at the automatic door in surprise. The doors opened on their own? Not even the shops on Diagon Alley did that. How in the world had muggles figured that out?

After watching the muggles for a while, she copied their movements by pulling out a large metal cart from the designated 'cart area' and pushed it down the various isles.

Muggles certainly had some unusual food. And everything seemed to come prepackaged and frozen. Though there was a section with fresh foods. She decided that she would explore more familiar territory and buy some vegetables.

Pansy picked up the sack of onions and turned around to place them in the cart. But when she moved backwards she collided with another body.

"Oof!" she stumbled, "Sorry!" she said automatically.

"Pansy Parkinson?" a deep voice said. Pansy looked up to find a very attractive black man staring back at her.

"Oh my god Blaise?" she gasped. Blaise Zabini was smiling at her, one hand on his grocery cart, the other in his pocket.

"Wow! I haven't seen you in what? Four, five years?" he laughed and scooped her into a big hug. "How you been?"

"Fine! Wonderful! You?" she said in disbelief. She couldn't believe she and Blaise Zabini happened to be shopping at the same muggle grocery store.

"I'm good. Trying this assimilation thing. These muggles are real inventive huh?" he smiled. My goodness he was beautiful. Even more so than Draco. He had inherited his exotic looks and high cheekbones from his mother, a former model.

"Yeah." she smiled. It was definitely nice to see a familiar face in such a strange place. "So what have you been up to?"

"I work at The Daily Prophet actually." he stood proudly and began telling her about recent articles he had written. Pansy told him about her work and he seemed impressed.

"You always said you'd open up your own shop. Glad you went through with it." he patted her on the back as they walked towards the register.

"It was nice seeing you." Pansy told him when it was time to leave.

"Actually, I was supposed to go to dinner tonight but my date blew me off. I was going to cancel the reservation but now that I've met you…" he raised his eyebrows and waited for a response.

"Oh!" Pansy blushed. Was he asking her out? "Sure. Why not."

The day had just got that much more interesting.

* * *

Draco sat at his kitchen table, his head resting on one hand. His father was briefing him for the debate next week but Draco was hardly listening. He knew his argument points inside and out but Lucius, being the perfectionist he was, insisted on more practice.

Lucius started, "Remember, never let your opponent get the better of you. Your anger-"

"Is your worst enemy. Yeah, yeah, yeah." Draco rolled his eyes and Lucius scowled.

"You think you know everything Draco but when it comes down to it-"

"I'll be fine! Relax." Draco sighed and his eyes wandered to the backyard. Astoria was there as usual but this time she was soaking in the hot tub as the sun set behind her. The orange glow of the sun made her look even more tanned.

"Ah, youth." Lucius said as he packed up the notes for the debate, "What I'd give to feel invincible again." Lucius chuckled to himself, not in amusement but in disappointment. The two Malfoy men always clashed on how to do things. Both were always so sure they were right.

After his father had left, Draco went upstairs into the study. He pulled out a novel and began to read. It was a classic tale of boy meets girl with a deliciously sappy ending. The book belonged to Astoria officially but one night Draco had gotten curious and decided to crack it open. He had been astonished to find that some of the scenes were quite erotic. Draco had no idea books like that even existed. But what startled him even more were his rather strong reactions to such scenes.

Draco looked around to see if anyone was watching him and when he found not even the hint of a house elf, he began reading.

_Melissa closed her eyes as Daniel moved on top of her, crushing his muscular body against hers. He captured her mouth with ferocious desire as he tugged on her blouse. Afraid he might rip the buttons right off, she undid each one for him until the cloth flew open to reveal her bra-covered breasts._

_ He grasped both of them at once and she gasped in both pleasure and surprise. Popping them out of the confining bra one by one he massaged them, paying extra attention to her hardening nipples._

_ She reached down under him to feel his hard member and as she stroked it, it twitched in her hand. He seemed to appreciate her movements very much because he began grinding against her hand while he slipped his tongue into her mouth. He mumbled something to her but she couldn't hear. At that point she didn't care what he had to say. She just wanted him to keep going._

_ She moved her attention away from him to pull her skirt and panties down in one swift movement. He immediately began rubbing her bare crotch while still managing to undo his pants with one hand. He caressed her sensitive nub and her body jerked in pleasure._

Draco breathed in deeply as he felt the familiar sensation of arousal spread through his body and towards his groin. He closed his eyes and began imagining the scene with different characters.

_Pansy bore her neck to him as he trailed wet kisses down her neck. He kept going until he reached her navel and gently nuzzled his face against her stomach. He looked up into her eyes to make sure she was ready. When she showed no fear or hesitation, Draco lowered himself over her, his hands planted on either side of her to keep steady. _

_ He slowly guided himself to her slick opening. Teasing her nub once more before sliding into her hot… _

"What are you doing?" Astoria said from the doorway.

"Ah!" Draco screamed at the sudden sound of her voice. His heart felt like it had just shot out of his body. "God, you scared the shit out of me." he panted.

"Sorry." she said not sounding very sorry at all. Draco quickly hid the book behind his back as she stepped into the room. She was wearing a thin blue robe over her bathing suit and yellow pumps. Her hair was tied in a messy bun and random strands had fallen in her face and down her slender neck.

"What are you reading?" she demanded, trying to look at what he had stowed between the chair and his back.

"Nothing." he said coolly though he was feeling anything but cool. The hard throbbing in between his legs was becoming bothersome.

"Let me see!" she whined and tried to reach behind him. Draco stuck his leg out and she fell on top of him. She continued to try and grab the book, her breasts lightly grazing his face with each movement. Draco sniffed in her sweet scent and shuddered.

"Oh my god!" Astoria had pulled the book away from him in his moment of distraction. "Are you reading my books?" she laughed.

"Shut up." he growled. He grabbed the book away from her and slammed it forcefully into the end table. Astoria jumped at the loud smack the contact made.

"What's wrong with-" she started but was cut off by his kiss. She struggled against him at first but then surrendered to the contagious passion that leaked out of him.

They were soon on the floor: him on top of her. He had ripped her robe open and her bikini top lay on the floor a few feet away. Draco was inside of her before he could even take off his clothes. Astoria's eyes stared unblinkingly at him as he pounded into her. She was clearly in shock and by the way her nose scrunched up, slightly in pain. It probably wasn't very comfortable being rocked back and forth on the hearthrug. Draco hardly cared. He just needed release and she had been so tempting.

Her arms wrapped around him and pulled his body closer to hers. Draco smiled. Now she was starting to enjoy it. She grabbed onto one of his ears with her teeth and bit hard. Draco grunted at her rough action and slammed into her in response. She arched her back and shrieked in ecstasy before biting him again on the shoulder.

He swore loudly at her second bite and pulled out in time to avoid coming inside of her. She sat up and watched him leak onto the hardwood floor.

"That's gross." she said, sticking her tongue out in disgust. She stood up and wrapped her wrinkled robe around her body tightly.

He ignored her comment and smacked her on the ass before she left the room. He stared at the drying liquid on the floor while feeling the tiniest bit of pity for the poor house elf who would have to clean it up.

* * *

Pansy couldn't believe her good luck. After going home to change her clothes, she had met Blaise at a cozy Italian restaurant downtown. The dimly lit room set the perfect atmosphere and whatever scented candles they were using were making her feel like she was floating on a cloud. And, of course, Blaise looked absolutely delicious.

"Have you ever been here?" Blaise asked, looking away from his menu.

"No. But I love it." Pansy sighed with happiness.

"Yeah, me too." he smiled at her, "You still talk to people from Hogwarts?" he asked and Pansy cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Some." she said quietly, "I'm still friends with Millicent."

"Are you? Haven't seen her since graduation." Blaise said after he took a sip of water.

"Who are you still friends with?" Pansy asked curiously. She might as well have asked 'Are you still friends with Draco?' Blaise and Draco had been best friends since before she had known either of them.

"Oh, you know, Mick, Brian and the gang." He dodged her question, skillfully not mentioning Draco's name. Pansy realized that either he was no longer friends with Draco or he was just being considerate by not saying his name in front of her.

"You know, you look different." Blaise said causing Pansy to become startled.

"Different how?" she asked.

"More…beautiful." he spoke with sincerity.

Pansy felt her face getting hot. "Oh. Wow…" she sure had been receiving a lot of compliments lately. It was like she had momentarily stepped back into high school.

"I mean, back then you were really hot." Ah, there's the old Blaise she knew. Pansy held back a giggle, "But now you've blossomed into this amazing beauty."

Okay, he was definitely trying to get into her pants. And it was totally working. Pansy knew all of Blaise's tricks from watching him use them on other girls in the past, including her ex-best friend, Daphne Greengrass. He hadn't changed one bit.

"You were always quite the charmer." Pansy chuckled. The waiter came with their food and Blaise thanked him politely.

Sticking his fork in his salad he said, "If I was such a charmer, how come I could never get a date with you?"

Pansy looked down at her food and bit her lip. When she didn't say anything, he answered for her.

"That's right, you liked _him_ better." he spoke lightheartedly, still not using 'his' name. "That's okay. He had his chance. Now I'm getting mine. Fair right?"

Pansy looked up at him and scoffed, "That's what you think this is? Your chance?"

"There's no way I'm passing you up." he said boldly and flashed his brilliantly white teeth at her. Pansy's stomach leaped excitedly. She had just won the bet.

**A/N: **Ooo Pansy you go girl! Haha I'm so sorry about that lemon x_x not very romantic at all lol just had to be done. Please review! :D


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Yaaaay I'm back with Chapter 9 AND 10. Chapter 10 will be posted tomorrow since they're both kind of short.

Pansy's spirits had picked up tremendously since her date with Blaise. Her friends had undoubtedly approved of him thus freeing her of any more horrible blind dates.

Her store had picked up some more business from Astoria's friends and countless onlookers hoping to spot them. Having to deal with a few annoying women was worth having cash flow.

After a week of contemplating, she had finally bought a (small) television but refused to pay for more than one hundred channels before she had fully tried it out. She had invited her friends over the other day to check it out and watch girly movies all night on the pay-per-view.

And best of all- or worst, she couldn't totally decide, Draco hadn't shown up unexpectedly anywhere in three days.

Pansy greeted Blaise with a warm hug when he came to visit her Friday afternoon. He kissed her on the cheek as she let him into the apartment.

"Thanks for helping me out last night." Pansy said. She followed him to the couch and they both sat down.

"No problem. They bought it huh?" he grinned. Oh yes, one more thing, Pansy hadn't exactly told the truth when she notified her friends she was dating Blaise. True, they had been on a date and it had gone very well. But Pansy _still_ rejected him. Ridiculous.

"Yeah, you were great." Pansy said. Sure Blaise was attractive enough. And he was charming and he had money, lots of style, and very good taste in pretty much everything. 'But he isn't Draco Malfoy.' Pansy thought. She shut her eyes tight and scolded herself for thinking that way. But it was true. Blaise was great but he wasn't _him_: the man she wanted most but couldn't have.

"Listen, about my offer…" he started.

"To go out with you?" Pansy smirked.

"Yes. Won't you reconsider? We don't have to be in a fake relationship. Let's make it real." He placed a warm hand on her knee and squeezed.

"Sorry." she said a bit reluctantly. His attention was very flattering and he was certainly tempting but her heart simply said no. "I really just see you as a friend, Blaise."

Blaise sighed but continued to smile, "You know I won't give up."

"I know." Pansy laughed.

"Good then. Glad we're on the same page. So, what are we doing tonight?" he asked.

"_We_ are doing nothing. But I have a party to plan." she said excitedly. Pansy and her friends were going out this evening to start planning the small party they had in store for Pansy's birthday.

"A party? What for?" Blaise thought for a moment, "Your birthday?"

"Yup!" Pansy giggled like a little girl.

"Can I help?" he asked coyly snaking an arm around her shoulders.

Pansy leaned into him playfully and said, "Sorry, girls only."

"Ah, I see." he chuckled. Suddenly a buzzing sound coming from Blaise's pocket scared Pansy and she jumped. Blaise was startled too but soon realized it was his phone and picked up. A male voice answered on the other line.

"Uh huh. Yeah sure, I'm free. Okay. See you then." He pressed the off button and turned to address Pansy, "Well, looks like I'm going out with the guys tonight."

"Have fun." Pansy sighed, still wondering who exactly 'the guys' where.

"I will." he said and cupped her face with his hand. He leaned in close to her lips, almost touching them. "But tomorrow night. You and I are going to do something. Alone." He kissed the very edge of her mouth before lying back on the couch and flicking on the television.

* * *

Draco was starving. He hadn't eaten since breakfast and work had run into the late hours of the evening. Too cranky at that point in the day to go home to Astoria's nagging, he decided to head to the bar with his friends. It was Friday night after all. All he wanted was a big ass plate of nachos and cheese.

When Draco stepped into the bar, he could smell his food already. His friends were sitting at a circular table situated in the centre of the room where the whole bar could see them. All eyes focused on him as he walked towards the group of rowdy men. The newly opened bar in Diagon Alley was filled with people who knew exactly who he was.

As Draco sat down, the girls at the next table whispered excitedly. He looked over at them and smiled. The blonde one gave a tiny squeak and they all blushed.

"Oi! Stop flirtin' with the ladies!" the scrawny dark haired man sitting next to Draco yelled. "I'm telling your wife." he said jokingly and Draco shoved him.

"Shut up, Mick." Draco laughed and relaxed in his seat. It was good to be with the guys again. For a moment he could forget all the about the stress he was under and be normal.

James Codwell, another one of Draco friends, approached the table levitating another tray of nachos and a pitcher of beer. He situated himself between Brian and Ian before he greeted his friend.

"Drake! Didn't think you'd actually come." he said while snacking on a chip.

"Are you joking? I'd never pass this up." he said as he hungrily pounced on the fresh food brought to the table. His body sighed with the relief of finally obtaining sustenance. Brian and Ian joined in on the grubfest while the other three men sat back.

"You mean your wife actually let you out?" Mick gasped dramatically and the others chuckled.

"Yeah, she is looking proper by the way. Saw her in Witch Weekly." Brian said.

Ian snorted. "Reading women's magazine's again, Brian?" he joked and the table erupted with laughter. Once they settled down, Mick spoke up again.

"You're awful quiet Blaise." he said to Blaise who was sitting directly across from Draco. Draco had hardly noticed Blaise's lack of conversation. But now that he thought about it, he realized it was strange for him to be so silent. He had hardly even laughed at all the jokes going around the table.

"Hmm? Oh. Sorry. Just thinking." Blaise said, looking out of it.

"Well snap out of it. Tonight isn't for thinking now is it?" Ian cheered and Brian whooped enthusiastically.

"Yeah turn on that magic charm, Blaisey." James mocked in a high-pitched voice while fluttering his eyelashes at Blaise. Draco almost choked on his drink but Blaise frowned.

"Nah not tonight fellas." he said solemnly and all the guys stared at him in awe.

Mick reached over to place a hand on Blaise's forehead, "You got a fever, mate?"

"I'm fine. Just not in the mood." Blaise sighed and took a long drink.

Draco eyed his friend carefully. It was seriously unlike Blaise to pass up showing off to the gang. It was the highlight of the night to watch him waltz over to a random table and charm any girl he wanted. Draco had watched him go home with three girls at the same time once. He could only imagine what that had been like. Something must be going on with him. But what? Draco remembered only one other time when his womanizing had stopped. It was way back in fourth year when he had developed a crush on someone. Draco suddenly seethed with jealousy. That someone had been Pansy. They had fought over her long ago and he had won. It seemed that when Blaise had found someone to be serious about he stopped chasing after other women. So who was he after this time?

When Draco finally arrived at his home that night, all the lights were off and the place was completely silent. Only the light from the lamp posts outside illuminated the foyer as he stepped inside. Squinting at his watch in the dim light, he read 12:30 am. It wasn't that late but Astoria did like to crawl into bed early. Praying he wasn't in trouble, he slipped off his shoes and crept quietly up the stairs.

As he approached the bedroom, he could see the light on; she was still awake. He pushed open the nearly closed door and bright light flooded into the dark hallway, stinging his eyes. He groaned and squinted into the blinding light.

"Oh, you're home." Astoria said from the bed. Draco blinked as his eyes adjusted to the much brighter surroundings.

"You coulda left the light on for me or something." he complained while he undid his belt.

"Sorry, I wasn't sure if you were coming home or not!" she shouted and Draco heard a slamming noise. He looked up to see that she had slammed shut the rather large book she was reading.

"Didn't realize I had a curfew." Draco scoffed, throwing his shirt onto the floor carelessly.

"Where the hell were you?" she snapped, her eyebrows raised in anticipation of an answer.

"Out with the boys. Relax." he said quietly and slipped into the bed next to her. "I wasn't out cheating if that's what you're thinking."

She didn't give him a response. She simply pursed her lips and glared at him before opening up her book again. Draco looked over to try and see what she was reading. The print was small and he could see a few large words floating around the text.

"What in the world is that?" Draco asked.

"Just a book." she said shortly. Draco saw her roll her eyes without looking away from the page.

"Are you mad at me?" he laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged away. "I'm sorry I didn't call. I didn't think you'd care." He slid over so his body touched hers and shut the book with his right hand.

"Draco! I'm trying to read." Astoria protested.

"Come on," Draco breathed into her ear, "You know you love me."

"I-I care." she whispered and bowed her head shyly. Draco stared at her for a moment and then smirked.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he teased as he played with her hair. A blush had run up her neck and was slowly approaching her cheeks.

"I care to know where you are." she said very quickly, "Because…I like you."

"I like you too." he said seriously. They had never said that to each other before. Draco's heart was racing. He hoped she hadn't misunderstood him. She knew he only liked her as a friend, right? Draco had weird moments like this with his wife often. Being married, they were _supposed_ to be in love, but they weren't. Sometimes he wished he loved her. Then maybe he wouldn't be so lonely.

"I talked to Daphne this afternoon." Astoria said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Ugh, why?" Draco grimaced.

Astoria glared at him, "Her divorce became final today."

"Oh, well good for her then." Draco cleared his throat uncomfortably. He and Daphne had never really gotten along but when he had heard what was going on in her marriage, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Her husband had been chosen for her just like Astoria but Daphne's husband had turned out to be not so pleasant. It was a huge mistake on Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass' part. Nicholas York had seemed like a good enough candidate. He came from a rich family and had graduated with top marks from a good wizarding school abroad. He had a promising job as editor of the Daily Prophet and he was only 32. But shortly after the start of the marriage his behavior took a turn for the worse and Daphne had to get out.

"So who are they sending her off to now?" Draco said, rolling his eyes. He thought this whole arranged marriage thing was totally archaic. His children would never go through it.

"No one." Astoria said angrily, "Mum and Dad feel so guilty for what happened to her that she's free who be with whoever she wants! It's so unfair."

Draco put his arm around her and sighed, "Am I that bad?" he joked, causing her to crack a smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way." she apologized, "I just…nevermind."

Draco knew what she was going to say. She wished she could be with someone she loved. Just like he did. And there was someone that he loved very much but she didn't even want to talk to him now. He wished more than anything that he hadn't turned Pansy away that day she had asked for a second chance. But he didn't have a choice. He was just a kid back then and his father had told him to do it. His father controlled every damn thing in his life. He was tired of it and he wasn't going to listen anymore. He was too old for that now. Draco was going to do what he wanted and if his father didn't like it, well too fucking bad.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **As promised, here is chapter 10. Short but dramatic :-O!

As Pansy blew out her candles the people around her began to applaud. Her parents, her best friends, and Blaise had come to the tiny affair. Her apartment was decorated with pink streamers and balloons that her friends had put up that afternoon. It had been the perfect birthday as usual. She spent the evening playing games and watching movies with the people she cared about most and enjoyed a delicious chocolate fudge cake with them afterwards.

"Next year, I am not getting you 25 candles." Tracy complained. "They barely fit!"

"Get a bigger cake then!" Pansy laughed.

Blaise came over and put his arm around her waist. He had been playing the role of her boyfriend all night; even convincing her parents he was dating their daughter.

"I had fun tonight." he whispered into her ear. The kitchen was clear since everyone had taken their cake into the living room.

"I'm glad." she grinned and looked up at him.

"I've got to go though." he grabbed her hand and pulled her so she faced him, "But, I'll see you tomorrow, don't worry." He kissed her on the cheek and then on the palm of her hand.

"Thanks for coming. I know I'm asking a lot from you." Pansy said.

"Yeah, well, it's worth it if I get to spend time with you." He raised an eyebrow and smirked. Pansy blushed. He certainly knew how to charm a girl.

After Blaise and Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson had left, Tracy and Millicent's eyes began to glimmer. Pansy noticed their excitement increase greatly and both had comically large smiles plastered on their faces.

"Oh, god what is it?" Pansy gulped. She knew they were up to something horrible.

"We have a surprise for you." Millicent smiled mischievously and quickly ran to the door to get something out of her purse. She returned holding a black handkerchief in her chubby hands.

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Draco scolded himself out loud. He was currently sitting in his car outside of Pansy's apartment and banging his head on the steering wheel. He had convinced himself to drive over to her place and drop off a birthday present. What a dim-witted idea that was.

Pansy had made it very clear that she wasn't interested in him. But he refused to give up. It was like he _needed_ her to want him or he would completely fall apart.

A few moments before, he had seen her parents leave the building. He remembered when he used to spend summer afternoons with the Parkinsons. Mrs. Parkinson would keep an eye on them and whip up chocolate sundaes. Mr. Parkinson would come home after work and pat both of them on the shoulder, approving of their budding relationship lovingly. Things were so much less complicated back then.

He stared at the wrapped up package in the passenger seat. He had gone through all the trouble of actually making her something. He really should go up and give it to her.

Suddenly his attention turned towards the building entrance. Three women were heading out the door, two of which, giggling wildly. Draco soon realized it was Pansy and her friends and that Pansy was being led blindfolded by the other two.

"What the…" he said as he rolled down the window and craned his neck to watch them walk away. This was obviously some kind of birthday surprise. Then, without even thinking, Draco grabbed the present, stepped out of his car and began following the girls down the sidewalk.

Careful not to be noticed, he stayed a few yards behind them while hiding his face behind the gift box. Though it wasn't necessary, the girls didn't look to see who was behind them even once. They were far too excited leading Pansy wherever they were taking her.

Only a block and a half later, they stopped at a large, old looking but sophisticated building. Draco realized it was an old banquet hall. After they pushed her through the door, Draco waited a few moments and just as he expected, there was a large roar of 'Surprise!' and a lot of screaming. He looked down at the present, then straight at the front door. Gulping, he boldly walked into the party.

* * *

"Surprise!" everyone screamed as Tracy whipped the blindfold off with her wand.

Pansy blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light again. She was in a room filled with people. And as she looked closely, she realized most of them didn't look familiar.

"What in the world…" she trailed off as people began patting her on the back and wishing her a happy birthday.

"Awesome, huh?" Millicent said as the music turned on. She moved back and forth ungracefully, evidently not noticing the angry look on Pansy's face.

"I thought I said no parties." Pansy growled.

"You've been too uptight lately. You're 24 not 42. Live a little." Tracy smiled and patted Pansy for encouragement. But Pansy couldn't believe her ears. Her friends had totally gone behind her back and thrown a wild party for her filled with people she didn't even know. In fact, she wasn't even sure her friends knew them.

Pansy looked around the humid room. It was just like the parties she used to go to when she was a teenager. Everyone would get drunk, or at least half-drunk, and spend the night doing things they would never normally do.

Pansy found the bar and ordered herself some pumpkin juice. She watched the crowd of people dance and yell while the loud music thumped in her ears. She suddenly felt very tired. After thinking her day had been over, she was ready to go to bed. But her friends had dragged her to some God forsaken party instead.

Without warning Pansy felt a body roughly bump into her and a cold liquid splash on her thin shirt.

"Woah! Sorry." The man who had spilled his drink all over her said.

She scowled at him but he just laughed drunkenly and stumbled away from the bar.

Infuriated, Pansy walked to the bathroom to clean herself up. It wasn't turning out to be the perfect birthday after all. Looking at the damage done to her shirt in the mirror, she sulked. This is why she had given up drunken parties. At the end of the night you just wind up messy and disgusting. She didn't even look to see who had entered when the door swung open.

"Pansy." she heard Draco's voice from the door. Hanging her head, she sighed. Perfect.

"You're in the girls bathroom- how did you even- never mind, I don't want to know." she said and marched right past him to grab a handful of paper towels.

"Some party, right?" he laughed as he approached her.

"What do you want this time, Draco?" she grumbled as she dabbed the stain in vain.

"I've been sneaking around trying not to get recognized so I could be alone with you. Here, I got you something. Happy Birthday." And he pulled out a baby blue gift box with a silver bow on top. He had gotten her a birthday present? Pansy's breath suddenly caught in her throat. Oh no, why did he have to be so nice? She took the gift reluctantly and placed it on the counter before she started cleaning her shirt again.

"Oh, for goodness sake." Draco sighed loudly and pointed his wand at Pansy's shirt, "Scourgify." The stain instantly disappeared.

"You know I'm bad at cleaning charms. I was sparing myself the embarrassment of scouring my entire shirt away." Pansy said, starting to feel very aggravated. His presence was the absolute last thing she needed at the moment.

"Now _that_ would have been a gift." Draco joked and Pansy rolled her eyes dramatically. "But seriously. I hope you like it. The gift, I mean."

"Yeah, thanks." she said politely and scooped the box back into her arms. She started to walk towards the door but he stuck his arm out to stop her. With his other hand he magically locked the door.

"Don't leave." he pleaded. Pansy could hear the desperation in his voice. She could tell he had planned this encounter and was not about to let it slip away. He put a firm hand on her shoulder and stared into her eyes. She couldn't move. The way he was looking at her had her pinned on the spot.

"D-Draco? What are you…" she stuttered in a very low whisper. Draco's stomach pressed up against the present, causing a crinkling noise on impact. Both of her shoulders were now covered with his hands and one began to lightly caress the back of her neck. She closed her eyes as he touched her, enjoying the soft sensation. She felt his moist lips touch the apple of her cheek, causing her to let out a deep breath. She hadn't been so close to him in years. It was such a beautiful feeling to be next to him again. God, she never wanted it to end.

When she opened her eyes, his grey ones were staring back at her. His thumb brushed against her lips and down her chin until his hand rested against her neck. Her stomach flipped as she realized that his lips were slowly approaching hers. She wanted to kiss him so badly. Everything was telling her to do it. But a nagging little voice kept screaming 'no'. This was so wrong…

Pansy forced herself to turn her head away. Pushing the present into his stomach she said, "Stop. I can't do this. I'm sorry." She weaved around him, clutching the present into her chest. She heard him call after her but she didn't dare turn back. She just kept walking until she felt the hot summer air hit her. Standing outside of the building, she panted hard and cursed. How could she have let him get that close? He had almost kissed her! She was this close to becoming a home-wrecker. She hated herself for enjoying it and wanted to die of embarrassment.

Pansy continued down the two block walk to her building feeling utterly guilty. Her footsteps echoed loudly on the deserted street. In the distance, she could see the only car on the block. It was a really fancy automobile that only a rich person could afford. She knew immediately who it belonged to.

"You bastard!" she yelled into the darkness.

"Hey!" Draco called behind her a few yards away. "Is that directed at me?"

Pansy whipped around with fury in her eyes, "Yes it's directed at you!"

"What did I do?" he asked as he walked closer to her.

"What'd you have to come back for? I was doing fine until you showed up!" she screamed.

"Pansy I-"

She cut him off, "You think you can just waltz up in here with your fancy car and your designer clothes and your winning smile and expect me to run into your arms?"

"Well no-"

"You thought I'd just be sitting here waiting for you all these years? I have a life Draco Malfoy! I'm a person! And you can't just fuck with me, okay?"

"Pans…" Draco said pleadingly.

"Don't fucking call me Pans!" Pansy choked on her words. Too many emotions were surfacing. "Go home to your perfect little wife, Draco!"

Draco just stood still as she seethed with anger a few feet away. She wanted to pummel him._ Now_ he wanted to be with her? _Now_ he was willing to give it a try? After he had sent her packing so long ago? Did she look like she wanted to be someone's mistress? And why the hell hadn't he left yet?

"Go home!" she shrieked and he stared at her for a second before walking into the street in the direction of his car.

Pansy watched him get into the vehicle. The engine started and he drove away quickly, causing the car to growl against the silent night. She sat down on the curb, tears filling her eyes, still holding the crumpled present.

**A/N: **Oh snap! She sure told him lol! Please review :D


	11. Chapter 11

Draco woke up to a drool-covered pillow and a warm, female body draped over him. He flipped the pillow over to the dry side and put his head back down sleepily. He thanked God it was his day off since he really didn't feel like getting out of bed today.

Draco felt a pain in his chest when he thought about what had happened last night. Pansy had been so angry. He was beginning to think he didn't have a chance in hell with her. Maybe the damage between them was just too deep.

"Morning." Astoria mumbled into his chest.

Draco grunted in response and rolled his head to the side. Staring at the wall, he felt her body leave his, causing a cold draft to sweep over his bare skin. They were both still naked from the night before. He pulled the covers up to his neck and curled up into a ball. There was no way he was leaving this bed today.

"Aren't you getting up?" Astoria asked from the end of the bed. She had put on a fluffy white robe.

"Hell no." Draco grumbled.

"Don't you have that debate thing tomorrow? Aren't you supposed to be practicing?" she nagged.

Draco sighed, "Whatever."

"You better hope you win. Or else your dad is going to have a fit." Astoria warned.

"Fuck him." Draco spat and then pulled the covers over his head. He heard her stomp off into the bathroom and turn on the shower.

Draco turned around and buried his face in the pillow. What the hell was he going to do now? Pansy was right after all. He had rejected her years ago and now he wanted to start a relationship while married. It wasn't exactly an appealing situation to present to a woman. He was stupid to think she'd go for it. But she didn't even know the whole story. Maybe if he could just explain what had happened, he would be forgiven.

Draco cringed when he thought about last night. They had been moments away from kissing but she pulled back. He could tell she wanted it as much as he did. The attraction between them was so thick, the air felt heavy with it. He'd give anything to taste her again, to touch her, smell her, and lay with her like he'd done with his wife hours before. Once again he had found himself imagining making love to Pansy instead, blushing afterward, hoping Astoria hadn't noticed.

"Draco? Draco!" Astoria shouted at him. Draco reluctantly pulled his head from under the covers. He looked at her wide-eyed. She was completely dressed already. Had he really been thinking that long? She was wearing dark blue skinny jeans that hugged her toned legs perfectly and a pink, ruffled, sleeveless top. She was slipping gold, hoop earrings on as she spoke to him.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked, frowning.

"Out." she said shortly. She ripped the blanket off of him, revealing his naked form. "Put on some clothes for god sake. Daphne will be here any minute for me."

"Where are you going?" Draco asked again, severely annoyed.

"We're just going out shopping! Celebrating her divorce." Astoria clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Honestly. You have to know my every move…" she mumbled.

"It's so early though." Draco groaned as he finally got out of bed.

"It's 10. Shops are open. We'll be out all day. I suppose you're pleased about that." she said as she examined her reflection in the mirror. "We'll be going out for dinner as well."

"Awesome." he said in a bored voice.

"And what will _you_ be doing today?" Astoria whirled around to face him. Her eyes flickered to his naked crotch and then up to his eyes.

Draco knew exactly what he was going to do. He was going to march straight back to Pansy's apartment and _make her_ forgive him.

"Practice for the debate, I guess." he lied.

Just then, there were three loud knocks on the front door.

"Oh! She's here!" Astoria leaped in excitement. Daphne and Astoria had never been particularly close while they attended Hogwarts. But after Daphne graduated, they became fast friends and were now almost inseparable.

"I'll get it!" Draco joked as he reached for the bedroom doorknob, still stark naked.

"Draco!" Astoria yelled, half shocked, half laughing. She pushed him out of the way and quickly slipped out of the bedroom, making sure to close the door in his face on the way out.

Draco rolled his eyes when he heard the two women shrieking downstairs when they greeted each other. He put on a pair of briefs and pajama pants and left the room to see his sister-in-law.

Draco leaned over the banister at the stair's landing and saw Daphne holding hands with her sister smiling from ear to ear. She had put light brown highlights into her dark, long hair. Draco remembered when Daphne used to be as blonde as Astoria. It was their natural hair colour. But Daphne, deciding to be bold, dyed her hair a very dark brown during seventh year.

Daphne quickly spotted Draco on the large wooden staircase and frowned. Draco smirked back. Draco expected her to spit an insult at him or flash a rude gesture. But she did nothing. She ignored him and continued to talk with her sister. He could only hear bits and pieces of their conversation as they were whispering.

"…up there half naked…" Daphne whispered to Astoria.

"Don't mind him." she replied and looked back and up at Draco. He waved at her cheesily and she sighed dramatically. "So annoying…"

Astoria picked up her purse from the table and slung it over her shoulder. "We're going now!" she called to Draco.

"Have a nice time ladies." he grinned.

Daphne left the house without another look but Astoria stared at him with her hand on the doorknob. She opened her mouth slightly like she wanted to say something, but decided not to and closed the mansion door behind her.

* * *

Pansy had woken up very groggily the morning after her fight with Draco. Her eyes were puffy from a mixture of crying and lack of sleep. Her friends had found her outside her building almost an hour after Draco had left. She had stopped crying by then and was spinning the flat, rectangular present around in her hands. Naturally, they'd asked what she was doing outside and who the present was from. But she didn't give them a straight answer. She still didn't want either of them knowing about her encounters with Draco. And besides, she was still furious at them and didn't feel like explaining anything.

They had dragged her back into the party where, feeling to miserable to care anymore, she drank herself silly. This pleased her friends very much of course. So at 1:30 in the morning, Pansy found herself dancing on the bar to chants of 'Pan-sy! Pan-sy! Pan-sy!'

Regretting her rash decision to drink again, Pansy sank into her couch and looked at her coffee table. The gift Draco had gotten her was laying on top of it. The paper was ripped in the corner on one side and the bow had fallen off. It was now flopping miserably beside the present. Pansy stared at it angrily. She should just throw it out. She shouldn't even bother looking at it. It was a waste of time. _He_ was a waste of time; a completely worthless waste of time.

Pansy's hands twitched. Maybe she would just take a quick peek at the present. Then she would throw it away for sure. Just a tiny peek…

Pansy anxiously grabbed the box and ripped the top open. Flinging the tissue paper away, she nervously pulled a flat, rectangular, book out of the similarly shaped box. The book had a plain green cover with no words or design of any sort. Curiously, Pansy turned to the first page. Her stomach leaped.

On the first page, lay a picture of Pansy in her fourth year. She remembered the day very well. It was the very first day of fourth year. The feast had ended and everyone had gone back to their dormitories. Blaise had gotten a new camera and had decided to take pictures of the entire gang.

Everyone had ditched their Hogwarts uniforms after dinner. Pansy was wearing a pink v-neck sweater and jean miniskirt, which was the trend back then. Standing next to her was Draco. He had his arm around her shoulders and a smirk on his face. The Pansy in the picture kept waving cheekily. Real Pansy bit her lip.

She turned the page again to find four more photos, all from the fourth year. There was one of Draco chasing Pansy on the school grounds. Whenever the Draco in the picture would catch her, he would squeeze her tightly and spin her around while she shrieked with laughter. There were a couple of them studying in the common room and the library and finally a picture of them at the Yule Ball. Pansy's heart swelled. They had shared their first kiss that night. It was a night she would never forget.

As she flipped through the book, the pictures became more and more recent. There was a picture of them together at Pansy's 15th birthday party. And then another at Blaise's pool party the summer before sixth year. By now, picture-Draco and picture-Pansy were kissing in every photo, making it very difficult for Pansy to keep looking. But she continued to turn the pages until she reached the last one. It was a picture of them in their seventh year at Hogwarts. Draco was thinner and paler, the stress of the war clearly taking a toll on him. But he was still smiling and staring into Pansy's eyes lovingly. Pansy couldn't take her eyes off the photo. This was one of the last moments they spent as a couple. Then everything had been ruined. Pansy had been so stupid to let him go. If only she could have seen clearer. If only she could have seen how horrible Draco really felt about being a Death Eater. She never would have turned her back on him. It had taken the deaths of countless people to wake her up.

A single tear was rolling down Pansy's cheek. She hadn't even noticed she had begun to cry. It was too much. Every photo made her miss him so badly. She wished more than anything to be able to go back to when those pictures were taken. She needed a chance to fix her mistake.

"Ugh." she groaned and closed the photo album firmly. This is exactly what he wanted. He knew she'd miss him if he showed her all the good memories they shared. This gift had been carefully planned. Pansy cursed it for working. All it did was make her feel bad. She wiped her tears away quickly, trying to forget that they were ever there. Then she closed her eyes and imagined a world where Draco Malfoy never existed.

* * *

Draco had gotten dressed right after Daphne and Astoria had left. He hadn't even bothered to take a shower but he was in a hurry to get to Pansy's place. He was nearly at the front door when someone knocked on it.

Draco growled, "Who the bloody hell-" he swung the door open to find Blaise on his doorstep.

"What's wrong with you?" Blaise asked, his eyebrows raised far beyond their normal positions.

"Ah, sorry. I'm just about to leave actually." Draco said, grabbing his sunglasses from the table.

"Oh." Blaise said, looking disappointed, "Well where are you going? Can I come?"

"No!" Draco said a little too quickly, "I mean, it's got to do with business."

"Ah, I see." Blaise sighed, "Call me when you're done then."

"Sure." Draco said as he pushed Blaise through the doorway and walked out of the house himself. Draco walked briskly to the end of the property, Blaise on his heels. Draco waved goodbye rather lamely and then apparated away.

When Draco reached Pansy's apartment, nervousness began to take over him. He breathed deeply and wrenched the door open. Scanning the building's buzzer numbers, he found hers and dialed.

It rang once. Twice. Three times. Four. Draco sighed. It was going to ring out.

"Hello, you've reached Pansy's phone. I'm not here right now so leave a message! Thanks!" the answering machine crackled out.

Draco looked beyond the glass door at the security guard manning the desk. He waved and gestured for her to open the door. It seemed that this guard recognized Draco because her eyes turned as wide as saucers and she flew out of her seat to open the door right away.

"Draco Malfoy! At my building?" she fanned herself, trying to calm down. Draco tried not to laugh at the woman, who looked about 35, as she tittered like a 12 year old girl.

"Yes, yes. I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything about this." Draco whispered. Though he didn't know why. No one else was in the room.

"Of course, of course!" she beamed.

"I'm looking for a Miss Pansy Parkinson." he said in an even lower whisper.

"Oh! Miss Parkinson just left. About ten minutes ago."

"Damn." Draco cursed, "Do you know where she went?"

"Headed off to work I believe." She nodded proudly, evidently happy she could help.

"Ah, thank you…Beatrice." Draco said, reading her name tag. Beatrice blushed at the use of her name and told him she'd be glad to help him anytime. It was Draco's turn to blush.

As he exited the building, he wondered if it would be fitting to interrupt her at work. But he decided to go anyway. This was too important to wait.

Draco landed in Diagon Alley with a 'pop'. He passed by the restaurants that were filled to the brim with people. When the crowds became less and less dense, he knew he would reach the store soon. But to his surprise, a large crowd of people seemed to be gathered up ahead where Pansy's shop was located. Draco could even see a few photographers flashing away in the distance.

"Oh shit." Draco swore. Someone famous was there. He couldn't risk going to the store where he might be photographed with Pansy. He could just imagine how Astoria would react.

_"You lying, cheating, son of a bitch! You promised me!" she shrieked as she threw a lamp at him, narrowly missing his head._

Draco shuddered. Maybe he could avoid them by finding a back entrance. Every store had a back entrance, right? He slipped through an alleyway and found himself at the back of the shops down Diagon Alley. Jackpot.

Sure that no cameras would catch him now, he strode down the back alley casually. He stopped when he saw the back of the shoe store. Creeping towards the door, he peered into the back window. He could see the storage room and it was empty. Grinning, he opened the door slowly and crept into the back room.

He could hear Pansy's voice just a few yards ahead of him in the main store.

"So nice to see you ladies again." she said in a pleasant voice.

"I just _had_ to bring my sister here Pansy! Isn't it nice Daphne?" Astoria's clear voice rang out.

Draco froze. Daphne replied but Draco wasn't listening. Draco quickly ran behind a shelf and sank to the floor.

"Get this one for me." Daphne ordered coldly to Pansy. Draco chuckled as he imagined an exasperated expression on Pansy's face. But his amusement turned back into fear as he heard someone's footsteps coming into the back room. Draco sat very still and quiet, praying that, whoever it was, didn't find him.

But the sound of the footsteps came closer and closer until Draco saw them standing right in front of him.

"Ahhh!" Pansy yelped and clutched her hand to her chest.

"Pansy? Are you okay?" yelled a female voice from the store.

"Um, yeah!" Pansy said, staring at Draco angrily, "Just a spider!"

Draco smiled innocently at Pansy's furious face. "Hello." he said softly.

"What the hell are you doing!" Pansy demanded but kept her voice low.

"Oh, well, the thing is…I came to see you. And I tried to avoid the paps by going through the back door and….here I am." Draco stretched his arms out in a 'ta-da!' fashion. Pansy did not look amused.

"Your wife is in the next room! Shall I bring her in here?" Pansy threatened.

"No! Please! Don't!" Draco begged, shifting onto his knees and clasping his hands together.

"Then leave, quickly." Pansy sighed. She looked at him sadly for a moment, the anger totally gone from her face.

"But I came to talk to you." Draco urged.

"Now is not the time. And besides, who says I want to talk to you?" Pansy let out a 'humph' and turned her nose up at him.

"Did you look at my gift?" Draco asked timidly. He wasn't sure if she had chucked it after the fight.

Pansy's lips parted in mild surprise, like she hadn't been expecting him to bring it up. "Yes." She avoided his gaze.

"Then I bet you want to talk to me." Draco said boldly. Pansy didn't answer.

"Pansy?" yelled Daphne's voice from the other room, "How long does it take to get a pair of shoes? Honestly, the service here is terrible."

Pansy gritted her teeth and leaned over Draco to grab the pair of high heels Daphne had requested: size 9. "I have to work." she said bitterly.

"Then I'll wait until they're gone." Draco said, determined not to leave. Pansy looked like she was going to throw him out the back door for a moment but then she sighed and walked back towards the front of the store.

**A/N:** So ya I finally finished this chapter whoot lol Hopefully the next one won't take as long. Working on it as we speak :D


	12. Chapter 12

Pansy sighed in exhaustion at the end of the work day. It was always a difficult day when Astoria stopped by but the sales made up for it. But what had made this day particularly stressful was the appearance of Draco Malfoy in her storage room. And he had refused to leave until she talked to him.

"Am I allowed to ask why Draco Malfoy is sitting in our back room?" Rachel whispered to Pansy during closing.

"No." Pansy said firmly and Rachel shrunk away fearfully.

Pansy gripped her keys tightly as she stared out of the front door's window. The sky was still bright with the summer sun but Pansy could see the oranges of the sunset creeping over the horizon. She had been so sure Draco would leave her alone after last night. But the guy just wouldn't give up!

She felt a large hand on her shoulder and her heart sped up, knowing it couldn't belong to either of the small girls she employed. She turned around slowly to face him, her lips pursed. That's when she noticed his outfit for the first time. He wasn't dressed in his usual formal attire. He had ditched the black dress pants for jeans and only a tight green t-shirt covered his chest. Pansy couldn't help but notice the bulging muscles underneath and she gulped when she noticed how close they were.

"Can we go somewhere private?" Draco asked in a whisper so that Rachel couldn't hear.

"Like where?" Pansy said, feeling guilty for even asking.

"Your place?" he suggested and Pansy immediately shook her head. Inviting Draco Malfoy to her apartment at night did not sound like a brilliant idea.

"Well we can't go to my house now can we?" Draco complained at her resistance.

"Just wait until Rachel leaves. Then we'll have the place to ourselves." Pansy said without realizing how suggestive that might have sounded.

So Draco grabbed a chair and waited until Rachel gathered her things and left. It only took about 10 minutes. Rachel looked at the two of them in utter confusion before she closed the front door behind her and walked down the darkening street.

"She won't blab will she?" Draco asked nervously.

"Rachel? I hope not." Pansy said seriously. She sat down in the chair next to him but kept a good distance in mind. "So…" she said awkwardly.

Draco cleared his throat, "Where to start?" he said quietly to himself and Pansy stared at the wall ahead to avoid looking at him.

"Pansy," he started, his voice sounding on edge, "I've never told you this…I should have…I just…" he let out a long sigh, "My family has this tradition. If you can even call it that. It's horrible in my opinion."

She watched him put his hand to his forehead like just thinking about whatever he was thinking about gave him a headache. He groaned before he continued.

"It's like this. Every Malfoy is allowed to marry whoever they want. As long as they find that person by the age of 18 and they're _suitable_. Otherwise…they're chosen for you."

Pansy arched an eyebrow. "Like…arranged? Your family still does that?"

"Lots do, actually. Keeps the blood pure."

Pansy stared at Draco in disbelief. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

"So…you and Astoria?" Pansy asked gently.

"Were arranged, yes." Draco grumbled. "My parents were sure you and I were going to marry. They hadn't even made arrangements. So when we broke up, they rushed to find someone. Astoria was only 16 so she was available." Draco said the last sentence in a sickened tone.

"So you don't even love her? At all?" Pansy asked, hoping that he would say 'no'.

"Not one bit." Draco said. Pansy had not been expecting this at all. Things were suddenly starting to make sense.

"That day you came to my house," he continued, "I had to push you away. I was already engaged. It was the last thing I wanted to do believe me! But…I'd given up hope on us anyway. I'm sorry."

Pansy tried to digest everything she was hearing. All these years, she had believed he didn't love her anymore. And for the last few months she had been dealing with him being in love with someone else. And now, he didn't seem like such a creep anymore. Pansy could see the boy next door she had met so many years ago.

"Pansy?" he said, snapping her back to the present, "I never wanted to hurt you. I should've told you the truth."

Pansy's breath caught in her throat. She should have told Draco something too. But every time she thought she had the courage, she backed out. Pansy immediately felt horrible about the secret she was keeping from him. Especially since he was now revealing something to her.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked with concern, "You look pale." He added and reached over to feel her cold cheek with the back of his hand.

"I'm fine." she said shakily, not bothering to brush him away. She wanted to burst out and tell him so badly but fear gripped her too tightly. She had kept the secret from him for so long. What would he think of her when she told him? He'd probably hate her.

"Maybe I should leave." Draco stood up slowly and looked down at her. "I wish things had been different."

Then he put his hands in his pockets and turned to leave. Pansy's eyes fixated on his back as he walked further away from her. She wanted to stop him so badly. What if this was it? What if he never came back after this?

"Draco, wait." she managed to choke out. "I-I…" she trembled as she struggled to get any words out. Draco spun around and stared at her anxiously. Pansy pressed her lips together and shut her eyes, unable to say any more to him. Draco sighed and walked back towards her. Taking both of her hands, he spoke.

"It's okay. Don't say anything." He smiled weakly. "I understand."

Pansy bowed her head. No, he didn't understand. He didn't have a clue what she was trying to tell him. Maybe it was better that way.

His hands slid up her arms until they reached just above her elbows. He pulled her into him and she didn't resist. She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in deeply. His arms curled around her waist and his mouth moved down to her ear.

"I missed you." Draco whispered.

Pansy looked up into his eyes with uncertainty, "I think you should go home." Pansy winced when she saw his reaction. He was hurt. "I mean, is this…is this right?" she asked him timidly.

Draco licked his lips as he searched for an answer, "It's complicated."

"You don't belong to me." Pansy said sadly.

"Yes I do." he said and put both hands on her shoulders.

"You know what I mean." Pansy frowned and backed away from him. "I don't want to cross the line." Pansy could tell from Draco's face that he wanted to cross the line more than anything. But she needed more time to think about the situation. He was right, it was complicated. The lines between right and wrong were blurring rapidly.

"Won't she be angry? If she finds out? If we…" Pansy trailed off, too embarrassed to continue. Draco smiled.

"I won't tell her if you won't" he smirked.

"Draco!" she said in a reprimanding tone.

"Pansy, I'm _begging_ here. I need you." Draco got down on his knees in front of her and squeezed her hands tightly.

He _needed_ her? Pansy's head was spinning. This was all going way too fast. How was she supposed to make a decision right now? She could feel the familiar dip in her stomach that came with a dumb idea. This was a very dumb idea. How could she go gallivanting around with a married man? It was something she had learned not to do as a young girl. Never marry a man below your class and never be anyone's mistress. Pansy suddenly felt sick. That's what he was proposing: for her to become his _mistress_.

But she couldn't bite back the immense attraction she felt for him. It wasn't just his looks. It was everything. He really cared about her. It was clear now that he was still in love with her even after 6 years and that this wasn't some kind of sick joke.

"I've found you again. I don't want to lose you." Draco continued to plead with her, "We could take it slow. Just talk. Get to know each other again."

"Just talk?" Pansy repeated and bit her lip, "I guess." Though she knew neither of them would be able to 'just talk' for long. She couldn't decide if she wanted him or not. Well, no, of course she wanted him. It was the circumstances surrounding it that she didn't like.

Draco stood up and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly 10.

"It's late." Pansy said dumbly and touched her hair nervously.

"Can I see you next week?" he asked.

"Sure." Pansy said without thinking. The words had just popped out of her mouth. And before she knew what was happening, Draco's lips were on her cheek again like they had been the night before. He kissed her face once and then twice like he was trying to say goodbye but couldn't.

"Bye." he whispered and she said the same to him before he opened the front door and walked down the stone street.

Draco's heart still thumped forcefully inside his chest as he entered his home. Astoria wasn't back yet. Relieved that he didn't have to make up an excuse about where he'd been, he slumped against the door and shut his eyes. He smiled when he remembered he'd got to kiss her again. It was only on the cheek but it still meant so much to him. And she hadn't pushed him away. He was getting closer to really being with her again.

As he entered the kitchen, he heard the front door swing open and close, marking the return of Astoria. He grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and leaned on the marble counter trying to look casual. Astoria came into the room swishing her hair behind her. Draco stood still against the counter. She hadn't noticed he was there. She yawned as she tied her hair up into a very messy bun and stretched forwards. She leaned on the kitchen's island and let out a great sigh. Draco stared at her through the dim light. Though he couldn't see her face very well, she looked very deep in thought. Then quite suddenly, she turned around to face him and screamed.

"Sweet Merlin!" she yelled and grabbed a fistful of fabric over her heart in alarm, "Have you been standing there the entire time?"

"Yeah, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Draco said as he stifled a laugh.

"I thought you weren't home." Astoria confessed, "The upstairs lights weren't on so I thought you'd…" her sentence faded away before its finish.

Draco cleared his throat uncomfortably, "I've been down here the whole time. In the study. Came to get a snack." He fibbed, holding up the banana to back up his story.

Astoria looked relieved to hear this. Draco felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He hadn't been out cheating on her like she thought but he certainly had wanted to. Draco looked at his feet and frowned. It wasn't as though she loved him or anything. She was just worried about her reputation. What would the world think of her if she had an unfaithful husband or, God forbid, a _divorce_? She'd be the family embarrassment: the woman who couldn't hold on to her man. The failure. Of course Draco was strapped with the same expectations and now that he was running for a high position in the Ministry, his reputation was precious. An infidelity scandal would ruin them both. That was why Astoria had made him promise to stop seeing other women when they got married. Draco, focused on his career then, obliged. But things were different now. This wasn't some chick he met at a bar. This was Pansy.

Draco snapped his head back up when she brushed past him to take a cookie from the jar to his left. She smelled like expensive wine and sweet perfume that stung his nose. She wore that perfume every time she went somewhere fancy. He hated it. It reminded him of his deceased grandma. Her whole house used to smell of perfumes and potpourri.

Astoria paused at Draco's screwed up facial expression. "What?" she asked.

"I hate that perfume." Draco said honestly. Astoria's face fell into a frown.

"The one I'm wearing?" she said and Draco nodded. She sniffed her shirt and shrugged at him, "Sorry. I won't wear it again."

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You-you don't have to." he stammered.

"If you don't like it, I won't wear it. It's not big deal." Astoria smiled and took a bite out of her cookie.

Draco opened his mouth to protest again but thought best not to. It would be ridiculous to try to convince her to keep something he hated. Now he was finally rid of it.

"So, are you ready for tomorrow?" she asked him with skepticism in her voice.

"Of course." he said confidently. It wasn't a lie. He knew he would run circles around Pladstone tomorrow morning.

"You should get some sleep. I've got to get up around 6 am to prepare." she said, stepping closer to him and putting a hand on his forearm.

"I hate these early morning things." Draco groaned as they walked out of the kitchen and towards the staircase together.

"Well, get used to it. It's part of the job." Draco heard a teasing smile in her voice that made him grin. When they reached the bedroom, she went on ahead of him and locked herself in the bathroom to change. Although Draco had seen her naked almost every night since they had been married, she still changed behind the closed bathroom door, away from his eyes.

Draco searched the closet for his favorite pair of plaid pajamas and sunk into them. They were extremely comfortable and warm. That's what he needed right now. After tying the bottom drawstring, he slid into the bed and closed his eyes.

Shortly after he had fallen into bed, Astoria emerged from the bathroom in a long, floral nightgown and crawled in next to him. With a flick of his wand, Draco turned off the lights in the room and then laid back to stare up at the dark ceiling.

As he stared, he wondered what Pansy was doing at that very moment. She probably wasn't in bed. It was much too early for that. Maybe she was reading a book or watching television. Or maybe, he hoped, she was sitting around thinking of him. It was possible she was daydreaming about being with him. Draco smiled as he imagined her sitting cross-legged on her bed in a pair of sweats while she envisioned them kissing. Draco squeezed his eyes shut. He should have kissed her tonight. But she hadn't looked ready. He didn't want to push it.

Draco's thoughts were interrupted when Astoria rolled over onto her side away from him causing the bed to move. He stared at the back of her head for a while, thinking. He was confident he would be able to keep any relationship with Pansy a secret. He was good at sneaking around and Astoria didn't have the slightest clue where he had been going recently. A lot of times she didn't care, unless he came home too late. He would just have to be more careful about that. But he was positive he could pull it off without her finding out. He had, after all, juggled many girls in the past.

Draco winced slightly. He wasn't too proud of the way he had acted towards women in previous years. And what he was thinking of doing now, he admitted, wasn't much different. But the circumstances had changed. He couldn't pass up Pansy again, even if that meant tarnishing the blossoming comradery between Astoria and himself. Shaking himself of guilt again, he turned away from her like she had done to him moments before and let his mind wander into thoughts of Pansy.


End file.
